Germany are set to play in their eighth World Cup final; more than any other nation. They have won three titles in their history. Reuters Argentina are set to play in their fifth World Cup final, they have won two and lost two of their previous four appearances. Reuters Germany have now reached a World Cup final in each of the last seven decades (1954, 1966, 1974, 1982 and 86, 1990, 2002 and now 2014). Reuters This will be the third World Cup final between Germany and Argentina. They met in successive finals in 1986 and 1990, with each team lifting the title (3-2 Argentina in 1986, 1-0 Germany in 1990). Reuters This is the 10th time that teams from Europe and South America face each other in the final. Seven of these finals have been won by the teams from South America. Reuters Germany has eliminated Argentina from two consecutive World Cups. 2006 World Cup (1-1 AET and 4-2 on penalties in the quarter-final) and the 2010 World Cup (4-0 in the quarter-final). Reuters No side have kept as many clean sheets as Argentina in the 2014 World Cup (four, Germany have three). Reuters Argentina has yet to concede a goal in the knock-out stages at this tournament (despite playing extra-time in two of their three games). Reuters Argentina have not trailed in any of their six games so far at the 2014 World Cup. Germany just eight minutes (v Ghana). Reuters Argentina have won four out of five penalty shootouts at the World Cup, Germany won four out of four (including the one against Argentina in 2006). Reuters Miroslav Klose has scored more World Cup goals than any other player in history and as many as the entire current Argentinian squad (16). Reuters Thomas Müller has played a hand in 16 World Cup goals in 12 appearances at the finals (10 goals and six assists). Müller (2010 and 2014) and Klose (2002 and 2006) are the only players in history to score 5+ goals at consecutive World Cup tournaments. Müller is the first-ever Golden Boot winner to reproduce his number of goals at the following World Cup and can become the first player ever to win the Golden Boot at successive World Cups. Reuters Lionel Messi has been the most creative player at World Cup 2014, setting up a tournament-high 21 goal-scoring chances for team-mates. Messi has embarked on a tournament-high 65 dribbles so far, completing (another-high) 39 of them. Reuters No German player has created more chances for their teammates in the 2014 World Cup than Mesut Özil (15). Reuters Barcelona midfielder Javier Mascherano has attempted a tournament-high 509 passes so far. Mascherano has also made the most tackles so far. (28) Reuters Andre Schürrle has scored three times in just 156 minutes of action so far at this World Cup. Reuters Only Tim Howard (27) has made more saves in the competition than Manuel Neuer (23). Reuters Lionel Messi has scored five World Cup goals to date, but none of them in the knockout stages. Reuters Angel di Maria or Sami Khedira will become the 10th player to win both the Champions League and the World Cup in the same season. Seven of the previous nine have been German (Bayern Munich 1974) along with Christian Karembeu in 1998 and Roberto Carlos in 2002. Reuters Germany's Thomas Mueller has never lost to Argentina's Lionel Messi in a competitive match at any level. Reuters
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Michael Buffer says it best, “Let’s get ready to rumble!” Germany meets Argentina in the World Cup main event on Sunday. It will be a World Cup record third time the two countries have competed for the right to be crowned as world champions. Before watching the match which kicks off Sunday at 3:00PM EST on ABC, here are 20 facts you must know before the historic final.