Manuel Neuer (Germany) - THE GERMAN GOALKEEPER was remarkably assured for the most part, sweeping up balls in behind the slightly slow back four and making some terrific saves.
Philipp Lahm (Germany) - Lahm may have only played a few games in his customary full-back position, having started the tournament as a midfielder, yet his performances there against Brazil and Argentina alone rendered him worthy of inclusion on this team.
Ezequiel Garay (Argentina) - The Zenit Saint Petersburg defender is not exactly a household name, yet he performed remarkably well, leading a back four that was actually considered as Argentina’s main weakness going into the tournament. And incredibly, Mario Götze’s winner last night was the first goal they had conceded in all of the knockout stages.
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Ezequiel Garay was one of Argentina's standout players. Natacha Pisarenko
Natacha Pisarenko
Mats Hummels (Germany) - One of the more underrated strengths of this German team has been their defence — they conceded just four goals over the course of the tournament and Hummels’ intelligence and leadership was a key factor behind their success in this area.
Daley Blind (Holland) - Another player whose versatility meant that he didn’t stick to one position over the course of the entire tournament, nonetheless Blind was at his best at full-back, particularly in the Spain game. His well-taken goal in the third-place playoff against Brazil was the icing on the cake on what has been a fantastic tournament for the Ajax man.
James Rodriguez (Colombia) - The Golden Boot winner enjoyed a phenomenal tournament. He was the heartbeat of an entertaining Colombia team that was unlucky to lose out in the quarters to Brazil, frequently dictating the play and scoring six goals to boot.
Javier Mascherano (Argentina) - A solid performer throughout who elevated his status with two inspirational performances in the semi-final and final, doing a fine job protecting an imperfect back four in the process. Mascherano was arguably as important to Argentina’s campaign as Messi.
Toni Kroos (Germany) - It’s no surprise that Kroos is reportedly on the verge of a move to Real Madrid, as he was an integral part of Germany’s success. When the Germans’ dominated, Kroos invariably orchestrated proceedings, especially in their two most emphatic victories against Portugal and Brazil.
Arjen Robben (Holland) - If Messi was the main man in a limited enough Argentina team, the same applies to Arjen Robben for Holland. The Dutch star was the unquestionable spiritual leader of his side, frequently starring in games, and in particular, rescuing them from what had looked a certain defeat against Mexico.
Thomas Müller (Germany) - The 2010 Golden Boot winner was unfortunate not to repeat his feat this time around, as with five goals and three assists, he equalled his tally from four years ago and was thus, arguably Germany’s most important player.
Lionel Messi (Argentina) - There was much consternation when Messi was awarded the Golden Ball despite an underwhelming display in the final, but consider this: would Germany have reached the final without one of Müller, Kroos, Hummels or Neuer? Probably. Would Argentina have qualified for the final without Messi? Not a chance.
Flops XI: Iker Casillas (Spain); Pepe (Portugal), Sergio Ramos (Spain), Philippe Senderos (Switzerland), Marcelo (Brazil); Steven Gerrard (England), Alex Song (Cameroon), Xabi Alonso (Spain); Diego Costa (Spain), Hulk (Brazil), Fred (Brazil).
Here are the best and worst XIs of the 2014 World Cup
Manuel Neuer (Germany) - THE GERMAN GOALKEEPER was remarkably assured for the most part, sweeping up balls in behind the slightly slow back four and making some terrific saves.
Philipp Lahm (Germany) - Lahm may have only played a few games in his customary full-back position, having started the tournament as a midfielder, yet his performances there against Brazil and Argentina alone rendered him worthy of inclusion on this team.
Ezequiel Garay (Argentina) - The Zenit Saint Petersburg defender is not exactly a household name, yet he performed remarkably well, leading a back four that was actually considered as Argentina’s main weakness going into the tournament. And incredibly, Mario Götze’s winner last night was the first goal they had conceded in all of the knockout stages.
Mats Hummels (Germany) - One of the more underrated strengths of this German team has been their defence — they conceded just four goals over the course of the tournament and Hummels’ intelligence and leadership was a key factor behind their success in this area.
Daley Blind (Holland) - Another player whose versatility meant that he didn’t stick to one position over the course of the entire tournament, nonetheless Blind was at his best at full-back, particularly in the Spain game. His well-taken goal in the third-place playoff against Brazil was the icing on the cake on what has been a fantastic tournament for the Ajax man.
Javier Mascherano (Argentina) - A solid performer throughout who elevated his status with two inspirational performances in the semi-final and final, doing a fine job protecting an imperfect back four in the process. Mascherano was arguably as important to Argentina’s campaign as Messi.
Toni Kroos (Germany) - It’s no surprise that Kroos is reportedly on the verge of a move to Real Madrid, as he was an integral part of Germany’s success. When the Germans’ dominated, Kroos invariably orchestrated proceedings, especially in their two most emphatic victories against Portugal and Brazil.
Arjen Robben (Holland) - If Messi was the main man in a limited enough Argentina team, the same applies to Arjen Robben for Holland. The Dutch star was the unquestionable spiritual leader of his side, frequently starring in games, and in particular, rescuing them from what had looked a certain defeat against Mexico.
Thomas Müller (Germany) - The 2010 Golden Boot winner was unfortunate not to repeat his feat this time around, as with five goals and three assists, he equalled his tally from four years ago and was thus, arguably Germany’s most important player.
Lionel Messi (Argentina) - There was much consternation when Messi was awarded the Golden Ball despite an underwhelming display in the final, but consider this: would Germany have reached the final without one of Müller, Kroos, Hummels or Neuer? Probably. Would Argentina have qualified for the final without Messi? Not a chance.
Subs: Keylor Navas (Costa Rica), Ron Vlaar (Holland), Giancarlo Gonzalez (Costa Rica), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Germany), Sami Khedira (Germany), Xherdan Shaqiri (Switzerland), Neymar (Brazil).
Flops XI: Iker Casillas (Spain); Pepe (Portugal), Sergio Ramos (Spain), Philippe Senderos (Switzerland), Marcelo (Brazil); Steven Gerrard (England), Alex Song (Cameroon), Xabi Alonso (Spain); Diego Costa (Spain), Hulk (Brazil), Fred (Brazil).
Who would you pick in your team?
Check out the BBC’s brilliant, epic end-of-World-Cup montage>
Lionel Messi already a great, says Sabella>
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Best XI World Cup Ezequiel Garay Lionel Messi Manuel Neuer Mats Hummels Philipp Lahm Stars Thomas Muller World Cup 2014