Sixty-nine seconds is all it took Toni Kroos to bag the fastest brace in World Cup history. The Germany midfielder’s second amazingly came just 20 seconds after Brazil had restarted play following his first. Kroos burgled the adidas Brazuca from Fernandinho, played a one-two with Sami Khedira and slotted it home.
It helped Joachim Low’s side win 7-1 in what remains the biggest victory in a World Cup semi-final. It also shattered Brazil’s 62-game unbeaten streak in competitive home contests and equalled their worst-ever defeat: 6-0 to Uruguay in 1920.
Despite devastating a football-crazy country, Kroos endeared himself to the Brazilians with his warm personality and palatial passing. They nicknamed him ‘Garçom’ (‘Waiter’) due to his serving of appetising through-balls.
