Mario Götze Won the World Cup for Germany With This Brilliant Goal

Mario Götze has ended Germany's 24-year wait for a fourth World Cup title, scoring the winning goal to lift his team to a 1-0 win over Argentina in Sunday's World Cup final at the Estádio Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro.

The 22-year-old attacking midfielder broke a scoreless tie in the 113th minute when he cradled a gorgeous cross by André Schürrle and took one touch before pounding a left-footed volley past Argentine goalkeeper Sergio Romero inside the far post.

Götze had entered the game as a substitute for Miroslav Klose after the teams ended regulation deadlocked at 0-0. The fresh legs did not take long to make a difference.

The championship marks Germany's first major title since Euro 1996, with a string of near-misses at World Cups in 2002 (runner-up), 2006 (third place) and 2010 (third place).

It's also Germany's first World Cup as a unified nation after winning titles as West Germany in 1954, 1974 and 1990.