Rarely has a single football match left such a scar on a country’s collective consciousness.
When Brazil took on Germany on home soil in the semi-final of the 2014 World Cup, an expectant nation was ready to cheer their side into the final, only to witness perhaps the most shocking World Cup knockout game that has ever been played.
Not even half an hour was on the clock when Germany scored their fifth goal, as they rampaged to a 7-1 shellacking as Brazil suffered their heaviest defeat for 94 years.
Marcelo on Germany’s 7-1 thrashing of Brazil
Former Real Madrid star Marcelo was playing at left-back in Belo Horizonte that evening and admits that it was one of his lowest points on a football pitch.
“It was a horrible feeling, the worst that I experienced in my entire career,” the Brazilian tells FourFourTwo. “To lose that way was a disgrace.”
Brazil was hosting the World Cup for the first time since the 1950 edition, a tournament which saw them lose the de facto final to Uruguay despite being overwhelming favourites. Again, this tournament ended in humiliation.
“Playing a World Cup in your own country, defending your national colours, with all your people around you, and then losing 7-1 was indescribably painful,” Marcelo continues.
“It was madness – no-one could believe it. The fans were sad, but so were we in the dressing room.
“However, I rose from that. I told myself I didn’t want to be left with that bitter taste. Sometimes in life, a defeat serves as a push to improve.
“I think from that night against Germany, I came out stronger. Maybe if we’d reached the final and won the World Cup, my mind might have said, “Enough”, and I would have said goodbye to football.
“Luckily, I never lost my motivation.”
Indeed, Marcelo’s Brazil career would last for another four years and total 58 caps, but the defender would never win a major honour with his country.
Brazil, meanwhile, have not been able to get past the quarter-final stage since, ahead of this summer’s tournament in North America.
