Argentina Somehow Had Zero Shots on Target All Game in the FIFA Final
World Cup finals usually turn on one or two clear chances, and official FIFA match reports often become part of soccer history. On July 13, 2014, Argentina reached the FIFA World Cup final at the Maracana in Rio de Janeiro but finished the match with zero shots on target, according to FIFA’s official statistics. Germany won 1-0 after extra time, and the shooting numbers became one of the defining details of that final.
The event
FIFA’s official match report for the 2014 World Cup final listed Argentina with 10 total shots and 0 on target over 120 minutes at the Maracana on July 13, 2014. Germany was credited with 13 shots and 7 on target in the same report, a gap that reflected which team tested the goalkeeper more often. The winning goal came in the 113th minute when Mario Gotze scored for Germany.
The match stayed scoreless through 90 minutes, but Argentina’s best openings did not end with a saved effort, according to the official FIFA stats. Gonzalo Higuain had a first-half chance that went wide, and Lionel Messi also sent an effort off target in the second half. Because none of those attempts forced Manuel Neuer into a save, Argentina’s shots-on-target count stayed at zero.
The local impact
For U.S. fans, the stat stood out because the World Cup final remains one of the most watched global sports events, with FIFA and major broadcasters treating it as a benchmark event every four years. The match was played in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, but it also drew a large audience across American cities including New York, Miami, and Los Angeles on July 13, 2014. FIFA’s official numbers confirm the on-field stat line, but they do not break out viewership or fan reaction by U.S. city in the match report.
What is confirmed is the final score, the location, and the shot data reported by FIFA after the match. What is not confirmed in the official match report is any broader historical ranking for how rare a zero-shot-on-target performance is in World Cup final history. That stat has since been widely cited in post-match coverage, but FIFA’s published report focused on the match itself rather than a full historical comparison.
The cause or context
The simplest explanation is tactical and statistical: Argentina created attempts but did not place any on frame, while Germany consistently made Sergio Romero work. FIFA’s report credited Germany with 7 shots on target, and that meant Argentina’s defense and goalkeeper stayed under steady pressure for much of the night. By contrast, off-target finishes from Messi, Higuain, and others left Neuer without an official save to make.
That final was also shaped by fatigue and caution, two factors commonly seen in extra-time matches at the World Cup level. Argentina had already played 120 minutes against the Netherlands in the semifinal on July 9, 2014, before advancing on penalties in Sao Paulo. The result of the final did not change Argentina’s overall tournament run, which included reaching the championship match for the first time since 1990, but the zero on-target stat remains one of the clearest factual markers from that night in Rio.
