The Defining Moment
Germany 1954
The Miracle of Bern. West Germany reached the final on 4 July 1954 as heavy underdogs: Hungary the Mighty Magyars of Ferenc Puskás had been unbeaten for four years and had thrashed them 8-3 in the group stage. Under torrential rain at Bern's Wankdorfstadion, Hungary raced to a 2-0 lead within eight minutes. But Max Morlock pulled one back and Helmut Rahn equalised before half-time. In the 84th minute, Rahn collected a loose ball on the edge of the area and fired with his left foot: 3-2. Commentator Herbert Zimmermann screamed "Aus! Aus! Aus! Das Spiel ist aus!" a foundational moment for post-war Germany. That triumph gave a shattered nation its first collective reason for joy and pride since the end of the war.