No chance for Depay to judge vary

After a run of four consecutive following play, that player award, saw him in the race for the Hyundai Young the Memphis Depay of its 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil ™ with back-to-back games on the Netherlands Bank.

The PSV Eindhoven forward that sat out 3: 0-playoff for third win over Brazil and now can be found in the same boat as his opponent for the award, Paul Pogba and Raphael Varane by France, after you last time back on the field in the quarter-finals.

While he no doubt like to have logged out of his World Championship debut with a touch of the ball was the 20-year-old looks at the tournament fondly, he scored two and created another in his four appearances for the Oranje.

Coming soon:
Depay the only remaining candidate of the three for the award nominated this means that there are no other contributions to the FIFA technical study group decision to vary, which will be published after the final. We expect only, therefore the news on which the trio has earned the coveted trophy.

Romero: We will remember '78 & '86 champions

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Argentina's players are summoning inspiration from their heroes of the past as they prepare for their country's most important match for a generation. Sergio Romero, the Monaco keeper who was the hero of the hour in the penalty shoot-out against the Netherlands in the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ semi-final, says the team is determined to join those who made history in 1978 and 1986.

It is 24 years since Argentina last made the final, where they were beaten 1-0 by West Germany in tense affair. The shirts will be the same colours again in the Maracana on Sunday: Argentina in navy blue, Germany in white. For Romero, however, the chance to join the icons of the Diego Maradona-inspired team of 1986, of that which triumphed on home soil eight years before, is driving this generation of players on, even if free-scoring Germany are the favourites.

Romero said: "The most important thing is that our team and our country provide the best image in the eyes of the world, that the world will speak well of Argentina. We will remember what the champions of 1978 and 1986 achieved but by we will also try to achieve glory by the fight and heart of this team," he said in Argentina newspaper Clarin.

"Maybe for many people it is not the dream final, because they wanted us to play Brazil, but it will be a fantastic game. They will be very tough opponents, they scored seven goals in the semi-final and they did not have to go to extra time so they have been able to save some energy for the final."

Romero saved two spot-kicks, from Ron Vlaar and Wesley Sneijder, to see Argentina through after the match ended 0-0 after extra-time. The keeper said minds have now been re-focused after euphoria following the match, where clips emerged from the dressing room of the squad singing their fans' anthem 'Brasil decime que se siente' - 'Brazil tell me how it feels' - to the tune of Creedence Clearwater Revival's Bad Moon Rising. "The boys enjoyed it, everyone was shouting and singing in the dressing room, but from the next morning we set our minds on what was coming and how hard it will be to face Germany," he said.

Germany have accounted for Argentina in the last two World Cups, winning the semi-finals in 2006 on penalties and trouncing the South Americans 4-0 in 2010. This time around coach Alejandro Sabella face the dilemma of whether to pick Angel di Maria, who is struggling with a torn thigh muscle. Di Maria has been undergoing stem cell injections to try to speed his recovery and his father was quoted by Clarin as saying the Real Madrid winger is desperate to play even if he has not completely recovered.

Miguel di Maria said: "He has been making short sprints, doing everything ... and he's confident he will make it. I also think he will play in the final, even if it is just for a few minutes."

Aguero: Make you happy forever us

But he involved far less because Argentina's run to the final of the FIFA World Cup Brazil 2014 was ™ as he would have liked, still smiling Sergio Aguero. The injury, which he suffered during his third and final group match against Nigeria seems a distant memory, and all that matters now is showdown with Germany in the immediate future, and Sunday, with the trophy at stake.

Understandably happy with life, the Manchester City man spoke with passion as he discussed his feelings before the big game with FIFA. "It's difficult," he said with a broad smile and big eyes collect his thoughts before you proceed. "When you're a kid you dream in this situation and the dream goes on, when you play for your club and if you the national team." There is something, that stays with you for the rest of your life."

Reflect on how close he came not on the tournament as a whole, said El Kun: "always to the competition in the best possible condition to begin, but I could not in the warm-up games, due to the injury I picked up against Everton." I was able to recover, but just so you can get match-fit to play. I again got hurt here although it not so serious. I have recovered and now I want to just have a chance to play in the final."

A record, to set
After the meeting, the games against the Switzerland and Belgium, Aguero with eight minutes of game time in the semi-final against the Netherlands as a substitute and scored in the shootout, the Argentina in their fifth World Cup final and their first 24 years sent.

Strange for a player who hit 21 goals for La Albiceleste and their ninth highest scorer of all time, has found the striker in the network, World Cup matches in seven - three in South Africa 2010 and he has presented the four in Brazil. In contrast, Gonzalo Higuain, who has taken the same sum as Aguero, as a whole, has accumulated five goals in 10 World Cup games.

"I will try my best, like I always do, and I'll try to do, what I can play already in previous", said the Argentina No20 to touch this discrepancy.

Aware his tournament goal drought, Aguero also knows how much anticipation and excitement his team perform home brings back: "sometimes they understand not, because you are focusing on your own stuff, but when you see the pictures of your home, you will see, how big it is. The fans have been waiting for so long a performance."

Aguero, who turned 26 earlier in the tournament, knows exactly what's in store for Argentina's the Maracana on Sunday: "they have many FC Bayern Munich players, who have been together for a long time and know each other well. They can also be the final as they play used. You have experience.

"We have our game to play, which is to keep the ball, but we also keep a watchful eye on her attacking game, which is very difficult to stop."

What to wear whatever the German threat, Argentina will not be Aguero lacking in motivation, confirmed: "we have the opportunity, a dream to fulfill, in touch now distance." "We will give everything, what we do, to it happen and make us happy for the rest of our lives."

Beaten pair out to restore pride

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MATCHDAY PREVIEW – Brazil versus the Netherlands is a match-up fit for a Final and would have made a worthy climax to the 2014 FIFA World Cup™. Instead, the two teams will face off in the Play-off for Third Place, with both eager to restore a little pride after the heartbreak of their semi-final defeats.

The hosts, in particular, slipped to an unprecedented loss, losing focus in a punishing 7-1 reverse at the hands of Germany. For the record five-time champions and the nation that still exports a constant stream of talent, it was a painful end to their mission to erase memories of the 1950 Maracanazo on home soil. The watching world could only look on and wonder what had happened to the side that once enjoyed a surfeit of football artists admired across the globe. Missing the injured Neymar, billed as successor to the likes of Pele, Zico, Romario, Rivaldo and Ronaldo, A Seleção simply fell to pieces against Joachim Low's men. Captain Thiago Silva will aim to steady the ship after returning from suspension, however, and he hopes to give Brazil's crestfallen supporters something to smile about again with the small consolation of third place.

Disappointment reigns too in the Netherlands camp, with Louis van Gaal's side having made such a stunning start to their campaign by dispatching Spain 5-1. Likely to be contesting their final World Cup, senior stalwarts Arjen Robben, Robin van Persie, Wesley Sneijder, Dirk Kuyt and Nigel de Jong had all been hoping to steer the Oranje to their maiden triumph after a trio of runners-up spots. That wait goes on, and in truth the Dutch seemed to run out of steam towards the end, failing to find the net against Costa Rica or Argentina. Nevertheless, Van Gaal can still end his rein with a sense of satisfaction before he takes over at Manchester United and hands the baton to Guus Hiddink. Not only has he rebuilt the team since they lost all three group matches at UEFA EURO 2012, they remain unbeaten on his watch, with their penalty shoot-out loss going into the books as a draw. Leaving Brazil with the bronze medal, after taking silver in 2010, would help alleviate the prevailing sense of regret.

The match
Brazil-Netherlands, Estadio Nacional, Brasilia, 17.00 (local time)

Did you know?
Podium hopes: Brazil have disputed the Third Place Play-off on three previous occasions. A Seleção downed Sweden 4-2 in 1938 and Italy 2-1 in 1978, but finished on the losing side to Poland in 1974. As for the Netherlands, they will contest their 50th World Cup game looking to finish third on the podium for the first time, having succumbed 2-1 to Croatia in 1998.

Goalkeeping glory: The Netherlands have tended to bring the best out in goalkeepers at Brazil 2014, with the Budweiser Man of the Match award going to their opponents' custodian in their last three matches. Argentina's Sergio Romero took the honours in the semi-final, following on from Keylor Navas of Costa Rica and Mexico's Guillermo Ochoa – meaning that Julio Cesar would be well advised to stay on his toes.

Run over: Brazil's loss to Germany was their first competitive defeat on home soil in 64 games since they went down 3-1 to Peru in the Copa America on 30 September 1975. None of Luiz Felipe Scolari's squad were even alive at the time, but, as fate would have it, their painful last-four exit took place in the same stadium: the Estadio Mineirao in Belo Horizonte.

Pozzo pedigree: With Scolari's charges now out, Vittorio Pozzo remains the only coach to have won a pair of World Cups, having steered Italy to glory in 1934 and 1938. Brazil's Mario Zagallo's also enjoyed a double taste of success, in 1970 and 1994, but for the latter tournament he served as an assistant to Carlos Alberto Parreira – who has been working alongside Scolari this year.

Suspended players
None

Check it out
The Netherlands are unsurprisingly devastated to have fallen short at the penultimate hurdle once again. Given the youthful nature of their squad, however, the Oranje have been keen to look for silver linings. As the defeated semi-finalists explained to FIFA, they will return home optimistic for the future, and satisfied that they gave their all.

For anyone who missed Brazil's historic 7-1 loss to Germany, meanwhile, FIFA.com spent time in the Seleção camp seeking out the reactions of players and staff alike. A sense of shock still lingers after 'The dream that disappeared in six minutes' – an incredible turn of events that even the most creative fiction writers could not have predicted.

On this day
Before Belo Horizonte, Brazil suffered their heaviest World Cup defeat at the Stade de France on 12 July 1998, when hosts France lifted the Trophy following a 3-0 success. Despite the one-sided scoreline, the South American giants fielded a fearsome line-up in Paris – and one that their fans today must look back on wistfully – with the likes of Claudio Taffarel, Roberto Carlos, Rivaldo, Ronaldo and Bebeto leading the charge. Brazil owed their spot in the showpiece to a win against the Netherlands in the semi-finals, having edged through 4-2 on penalties at the end of a 1-1 draw.

Play and win 
The three candidates for the Hyundai Young Player Award have been confirmed, so you now have until the final whistle on Sunday to guess whether Paul Pogba, Memphis Depay or Raphael Varane will win the trophy. Guess right and you could win one of 30 Hyundai premium prize sets!

Top tweet

Last training session completed of the season. 1 more big push tomorrow to beat Brazil. #Brasilia #WorldCup2014 https://t.co/DlBfCcQ2Al

— Tim Krul (@TimKrul) July 11, 2014

Muller versus Messi in numbers

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On track for a second consecutive adidas Golden Boot, Germany’s Thomas Muller is the leading light in Joachim Low’s side. With his fifth goal of these finals against Brazil, he took his place among a fabulous five of his countrymen (Miroslav Klose, Gerd Muller, Jurgen Klinsmann and Helmut Rahn) to reach double figures at the FIFA World Cup™.

There is one undisputed star for Argentina. The four-time FIFA Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi hopes to take his place among the pantheon of World Cup greats with an Argentina win in the Maracana. Will it be La Albiceleste’s No10 or Die Nationalmannschaft’s No13 who take the honours? FIFA.com takes a look at the numbers behind the stars ahead of their World Cup Final showdown.

Height
Thomas Muller: 186cm
Lionel Messi: 169cm
Muller towers above Messi, standing at a little over 6ft tall, and he is also above the average height for players at Brazil 2014 (182cm). The diminutive Argentinian maestro famously took growth hormones on his arrival at Barcelona in his early teens, but still grew to just 5ft 7ins. This makes him two inches taller than his idol and Argentina’s last legendary No10 Diego Maradona, who knows all about handling the biggest of pressures despite the shortest of frames. “Is the pressure of carrying the hopes of a nation overpowering?” Maradona asked the Times of India recently. "No-one knows it better than Messi.”

Date of birth
Thomas Muller: 13 September 1989 (24 years old)
Lionel Messi: 24 June 1987 (27 years old)
Incredibly, Muller made his Germany debut just three months before South Africa 2010 kicked off and, at the age of 20, picked up the adidas Golden Boot and Hyundai Young Player Award at that tournament. This time around, he brings a wealth of experience, having won most major trophies in the domestic game with Bayern Munich. Almost three years his senior, Messi is playing at his third World Cup, having made his international debut in 2005. It was widely discussed before Brazil 2014 that Messi, who will turn 31 at the next finals, is in the prime of his career and will never have a better opportunity to truly shine on the global stage.

Squad number
Thomas Muller: 13
Lionel Messi: 10
Germany’s No13 this year will be hoping to follow in the footsteps of his namesake Gerd, who not only won the Golden Boot but also won the World Cup during his time as the main man in the German line-up. Thomas was handed the jersey after previous incumbent Michael Ballack was injured in the build-up to South Africa 2010. He relished having the shirt on his back, with that adidas Golden Boot in his first global finals. Messi also feels the weight of expectation due to previous occupants of his chosen number. Diego Maradona and the current Albiceleste No10 are the topic of much discussion as to which is the top player to have worn the coveted jersey. Maradona holds the advantage in the eyes of plenty of Argentines due to his World Cup win in 1986. Can Messi match him this year?

Record in Brazil 2014 qualifying
Thomas Muller: 4 goals in 10 games
Lionel Messi: 10 goals in 14 games
Germany scored the highest number of goals in European qualifying, with 36 shared out between ten different scorers. Muller was joined on four goals by Mario Gotze, Miroslav Klose and Andre Schurrle while Marco Reus and Mesut Ozil were the only Germans who scored more than Muller. Messi got the second-highest tally of goals in the entire Brazil 2014 qualifying campaign with only Deon McCaulay, Robin van Persie and Luis Suarez bagging more qualifying strikes than the prolific Barça man. It was no surprise that La Pulga grabbed a brace in the 5-2 win over Paraguay that saw his side book their ticket to Brazil.

Brazil 2014 goals (up to and including the semi-final)
Thomas Muller: 5
Lionel Messi: 4
There was a significantly-sized monkey on Messi’s back going into the tournament. He had not scored a World Cup goal in eight years since his sole strike at the 2006 finals, in which he became the youngest Argentinian World Cup goalscorer. The impatient Maracana crowd watched on in his side’s opening Brazil 2014 game against Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Messi delivered after the hour mark, driving past several defenders before smashing in off the post. He then scored one of the most memorable goals of the tournament, a long-range curler which broke down Iran’s stubborn defence. On top of that pair, he grabbed a brace in his side’s final Group F game against Nigeria which included a sublime free-kick.

Muller started with a bang, grabbing a hat-trick in his side’s opening 4-0 victory against Portugal. The devastating attacking performance by Germany set the tone for the rest of the tournament, and Muller was at the forefront, converting a penalty, lashing home a left-footed effort and poking home from close range. He then grabbed the decisive strike in his side’s final Group G match against USA before getting the ball rolling in Belo Horizonte, scoring his side’s first in their 7-1 demolition of Brazil.

Check out the World Cup statistics centre to compare these two, or any other players at the tournament, with detailed comparison analysis, including passes completed and distance covered, at your fingertips.

Schweinsteiger: We're under no pressure

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Germany midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger said on Saturday that his side will be under "no pressure" when they tackle Argentina in Sunday's FIFA World Cup™ Final at the Maracana.

Schweinsteiger told a press conference at the iconic Rio de Janeiro stadium: "We're looking forward to it. There's huge anticipation and joy. We have no pressure."

Striker Miroslav Klose is the only survivor in the Germany squad from the team that was beaten 2-0 by Brazil in the 2002 World Cup Final, but Schweinsteiger insists that his team-mates have sufficient experience of major games.

"We have lots of players among the 23 who've played in important finals and we know how to handle that," he said.

We're looking forward to it. There's huge anticipation and joy. We have no pressure.

Bastian Schweinsteiger, Germany midfielder

"We have Miroslav Klose, who played in the final in 2002. Other players have played in finals with their clubs and have produced outstanding performances.

"We just have to think about the job we have to do. When the referee blows his whistle, we just have to concentrate on what makes us strong.

"Everything else around the game, we can take it in, but we have to keep it at a distance. Your head must be clear and concentrating only on football."

Germany are bidding to win their first World Cup since 1990, when a team managed by former captain Franz Beckenbauer beat Argentina 1-0 at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome.

Low: We can write history

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Joachim Low wants Germany to make history in the Maracana on Sunday and then dominate world football for many years to come. After their 7-1 victory against Brazil in the semi-final, Germany are favourites to beat Argentina and win the FIFA World Cup™ in Rio de Janeiro.

If Germany are successful, it will be the fourth time they have won the famous trophy, but it will be the only occasion they have triumphed on South American soil.

No European nation has won the tournament on this continent in four attempts. Czechoslovakia and Holland reached the final in 1962 and 1978 respectively, but Low hopes his team can go one better in Brazil this weekend.

"In the past we never had this, so we know we can write history," the Germany coach told a press conference on the eve of the final.

"Latin Americans, on this continent, have dominated all the time. So why can we not be the first? This could be considered an additional joy for us if we were to win as Europeans on Latin American soil."