But going back to the sporting facts, lets not forget that Hungary beat both Uruguay and Brazil without the aid of Puskas who had been brutally pursued and injured by german defender Werner Liebricht, when both teams met in the group stage game. Planned or not, that injury was the best result of that game, beacuse unlike Brazil 4 years afterward, this hungarian team was an orchestra where Puskas was either the most gifted soloist or the brilliant conductor whose muscicians had only been under for the past 4 years. For the final game, Puskas demanded to be on the pitch, remember he is in everybody’s best 10 lists of all time, therefore he didn’t want to be on the sidelines in their moment of glory, even though he wasn’t fit at all (just imagine today’s Spain without Iniesta or Xavi Hernandez).

Then, of course the disallowed goal was a travesty; and while the germans had a couple of walks in the park against Yugoslavia and Austria (2-0 and 6-1); Hungary battled the brazilians both on the mud and in the tunnel, and then 120 minutes against the reigning champions, a team that had never lost a World Cup game four days before the WC final.
And the funny thing is that Germany offered their team doctors take a look at Cañoncito Pun’s knee, and of course, hungarians took it as adding insult to ‘INJURY’ (Literally!).

Germany outdid themselves. Association football was only allowed in Germany after the Western Allies relaxed rules in their occupation sectors. Resources were so scarce that often matches stopped because the ball was lost. Gravestones were used to shore up the terraces. The players who were all amateurs literally played for their survival as a victory meant fuel for the bus or just as importantly something good to eat.

The German captain Fritz Walter returned from a Soviet gulag only in 1950 – notably after an act of kindness that highlighted the universality of sport: one of his guards played football with him and recognized him – and likely saved his life. In yet another noble act Germany was officially reinstated back into FIFA after the 1950 WC after support from the Swiss FA.

For the game itself Germany was down 2:0 by the 8 minute mark. They somehow managed to equalize before half-time and at the 84 minute the miracle happened. Schaefer crosses in… Header.. Cleared… Rahn should shoot from distance. Rahn shoots… Goal!!

That moment every German could be proud. After all the guilt and anguish from the war, a moment of sheer joy. Germany changed in the minds of its people from an international pariah to a world champion! They weres somebody again.

Historians credit the miracle as pivotal to the foundation of the Federal Republic of Germany (W. Germany). In that moment football unified a nation. Something positive and meaningful was set on its way to replace the chauvinistic militaristic nationalism of the past.

Arguably it’s one of the most significant moments of sports history ever.