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World Cup: the winners, the losers....
He started the game on the bench. And ended scoring the goal that won Germany the World Cup. Midfielder Mario Goetze was the ultimate reward for Germany's fans. (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMANY FAN, MICHAEL MOSER, SAYING: "It's brilliant, to be world champions in the stadium of all stadiums." (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMANY FAN, NICO, SAYING: "It was so close but it was great." There was little for hosts Brazil to celebrate. After crashing out of the event in the semi-finals, they're left with a multi-billion dollar bill for putting it on. Tom Cannon is a business professor at Liverpool University. SOUNDBITE: TOM CANNON, PROFESSOR AT UNIVERSITY OF LIVERPOOL, SAYING (English): "They've challenged and countered an awful lot of the critics who said there was no way they would be able to get the event together. But of course that won't silence the local critics, the people that were saying they've got their priorities wrong. In their eyes they've spent $15 billion dollars to be embarrassed in front of the world on the football field." Brazil coach Luiz Scolari has resigned. And striker Neymar is expected to make a slow recovery, after his tackle by Columbia's Juan Zuniga. But nothing could dampen Germany's mood. A jubilant German chancellor, Angela Merkel, described as the team's 'twelfth man', was basking in the glory. SOUNDBITE: TOM CANNON, PROFESSOR AT UNIVERSITY OF LIVERPOOL, SAYING (English): "This is a moment that matters for Germany in terms of self-confidence. They have this incredible economic machine which continues to outperform in real terms the whole of Europe." The World Cup itself may be over for another four years. The transfer season has already begun. James Rodriguez possibly off to Real Madrid. And bad boy Luis Suarez signed by Barcelona for a fee thought to be a mouth-watering ￡75 million. While the jostling for sponsors goes on apace - Manchester United now reported to be signing a ￡750 million deal with Adidas after ending 13 seasons with Nike.
