Germany move ahead of Brazil in finals games

With Wednesday’s World Cup semi-final against Spain, Germany will move ahead of Brazil in terms of matches played at the finals going back to the tournament’s inception in 1930.

The match in Durban will be Germany’s 98th and they are guaranteed to play a 99th either in the final or the third-place play-off.

The semi-final will be the three-times champions’ 11th in all and to date the Germans have won 59, drawn 19 and lost 19 of their matches.

Brazil, who lost to the Netherlands in the quarter-finals, have won 67, drawn 15 and lost 15 of their 97 games.

The Germans, who were not invited to the 1950 event in the aftermath of World War II, have scored 203 goals and conceded 114, while Brazil have netted 211 times for 88 goals conceded.

Four-times winners Italy have played the fourth-most matches (80) but blotted their copybook by going out in the opening phase this time. Argentina have played 70 and England 59.