Never, ever, underestimate the Germans on the football field.
That’s a globally accepted truth, one that has its roots in the 1954 World Cup final in Switzerland.
Going into that tournament, Hungary was the overwhelming favourite. After all, Hungary was the Olympic champion, unbeaten in four years, and had arguably the best player in the world in Ferenc Puskas.
Officials at the Wankdorf Stadium in Berne measuring crowd capacity before the World Cup. Photo: FIFA
The team’s performances throughout the tournament only cemented the idea that Hungary would become the third country to win the World Cup, after the dual successes of Uruguay and Italy. In its first two games, Hungary racked up a total of 17 goals, including an 8-3 win over West Germany.
After beating Uruguay 4-2 in the semi-finals, in a match contemporary observers rank as one of the best ever played, Hungary would meet the West Germans again in the final.
With two goals in the first eight minutes from Puskas and Zoltan Czibor, it looked like a repeat of the first encounter was likely. Instead, the West Germans responded almost immediately, with a goal in the 10th minute from Max Morlock. Helmut Rahn, a late addition to the squad, got his team back on level terms in the 18th.
Germany celebrate after winning the 1954 FIFA World Cup in Berne, Switzerland. Photo: FIFA
The second half saw telling misses by the Hungarian team. The second goal from Rahn six minutes from time gave West Germany a 3–2 lead.
Puskas did score an equaliser four minutes later but while referee Ling pointed to the centre spot, linesman Griffiths signalled offside. After a one-minute consultation, referee Ling disallowed the claimed equaliser.
For the Hungarians, the defeat was a disaster, and remains controversial due to claimed referee errors and claims of doping.
West Germany skipper Fritz Walter receives the Jules Rimet Trophy.
One controversy concerns the 2–2 equaliser. Hungarian goalie Gyula Grosics jumped to catch Fritz Walter's corner shot, but in plain sight of the camera, Hans Schäfer obstructed him, and so the ball reached Rahn unhindered.
The second controversy concerns allegations of doping to explain the better condition of the West German team in the second half. Though teammates steadfastly denied this rumour, German historian Guido Knopp claimed in a 2004 that the players were injected with shots of vitamin C at half-time, using a needle earlier taken from a Soviet sports doctor, which would also explain the wave of jaundice among team members following the tournament.
West Germany’s captain and coach, Fritz Walter and Sepp Herberger, are carried aloft following their reverse of Hungary in the 1954 FIFA World Cup Final. Photo: FIFA
Most controversial was the offside ruling for Puskás's intended 87th minute equaliser. The camera filming the official footage was in a bad position to judge the situation, but eyewitnesses claimed that the referee was wrong.
The match has been dubbed “The Miracle of Bern” and laid the seeds of one of football’s most enduring adages: Never, ever, underestimate the Germans on the football field.