The 2014 Men’s World Cup saw Brazil host the tournament for only the second time, following the huge disappointment of 1950.

Infamously Brazil suffered an unlikely defeat to Uruguay in the decisive match of the final round when they only needed to draw the game to win the trophy in the Maracanã.

This was the chance to finally lay that persistent ghost to rest, 64 years later.

Ahead of 2014, there is unlikely to have been another team under as much pressure going into a tournament as this incarnation of the Seleção – they either had to win or be branded as failures.

Unfortunately for Brazil their mission ended in spectacular failure.

Brazil may have been feeling the pressure from the home crowd, but Germany had pressures of their own as the best team left in the competition on paper.

Germany arrived in Brazil as the second-best team in the world based on the FIFA Rankings. The match would be the fourth successive major tournament semi-final for the Germans 

On the other hand Brazil had not suffered a competitive defeat on home turf in 39 years, a run of 62 consecutive matches without losing.

That was about to change in the most humiliating fashion possible.

When the game began, Brazil came flying out of the traps wanting to please an expectant home crowd,

Between the 20th and 30th minute of the match, Germany completed just 25 passes but attempted six shots and scored from four of them.

It was a devastating display of attacking football, leaving Brazilian players and fans utterly shellshocked.

In the history of the FIFA World Cup, the only other teams to have found themselves five goals down at half-time are Zaire and Haiti.

7-1. Brazil’s worst nightmare had become a reality.

It was their most emphatic defeat of any kind for nearly a century, since Uruguay beat them 6-0 in 1920.

And this came on the biggest stage of all – at a World Cup finals tournament in their own country and in front of billions watching in disbelief at home.

Embarrassment, shame, humiliation.