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champions that conquered the world Published 11 Jul 2024 Share FIFA looks at the West Germany and Spain sides which ruled both European and world football simultaneously.  - **Two sides have won the World Cup as reigning European champions** - **West Germany became the first continental kings to conquer the world** - **Spain sandwiched their 2010 triumph in between back-to-back EURO victories** Since the formation of the UEFA EURO in 1960, just two sides have conquered the continent before asserting their dominance by lifting the FIFA World Cup™ directly after. **FIFA** looks at the sides which made history.  *** ### **Muller inspires West Germany****Muller inspires West Germany** Up until 1980, the EURO was contested by just four sides. West Germany began their Belgium 1972 campaign against the hosts, where a Gerd Muller brace edged them into the final. He again netted twice there, either side of a Herbert Wimmer goal, to see off the Soviet Union in Brussels. West Germany then hosted the World Cup two years later looking to become the first-ever nation to lift the title as continental champions. They edged past Chile before defeating Australia with "another poor display", according to Muller, ensuring that their final group game against East Germany – the only time the two sides met at senior level – would decide who topped the section. That historic derby match produced one of the World Cup's biggest upsets, as the East triumphed 1-0 in Hamburg thanks to a late Jurgen Sparwasser strike. Muller later said that “all hell broke loose” following that game, prompting a change from West Germany which saw four places swapped out for their clash with Yugoslavia, which kicked off the second group stage. The pack shuffling worked, as Helmut Schon’s side won all three group games to book a final date with the Netherlands. While his team were progressive and exciting themselves, Schon planned to starve the ‘Total Football’ machine of possession, though he couldn’t prevent them from winning the toss. After just two minutes, with the hosts having not touched the ball, Johan Neeskens rifled home the fastest-ever World Cup final goal from the penalty spot to give the *Oranje* the lead. West Germany soon levelled courtesy of a spot-kick of their own by Paul Breitner, before the unstoppable Muller completed the turnaround on the stroke of half-time, which ultimately confirmed the nation's second world title.  ### **Did you know?****Did you know?** - Before winning the 1954 World Cup, West Germany faced a Schon-coached Saarland national team in qualifying, with the *Mannschaft* winning both games 3-0 and 3-1 respectively. Schon would become Sepp Herberger's assistant in 1956, before taking the top job eight years later. - West Germany were the first team to lose a game en route to winning the World Cup in '54 when they were defeated by Hungary in the group stage. They became the second team to do so 20 years later after being beaten by East Germany.  - A total of 14 players were a part of both the 1972 EURO and 1974 World Cup squads. Franz Beckenbauer, Breitner, Uli Hoeness, Sepp Maier, Muller and Hans-Georg Schwarzenbeck started both finals. - Referee Jack Taylor took time away from working as a butcher to officiate at the global finals. He awarded the first two World Cup final penalties; seven have been awarded since.  ## **Rampant Roja’s tika-taka triumph****Rampant Roja’s tika-taka triumph** Spain became the next team to hold both titles by 2010, though, unlike Germany, their victories came over two eras. Luis Aragones led his charges to EURO 2008 glory in Austria and Switzerland with a newly-adopted tiki-taka style which created a free-flowing, attack-minded machine. It was anchored by Marcos Senna and manned by Andres Iniesta and Xavi, with the latter setting up Fernando Torres to sink Germany in the Vienna final. Aragones left following the tournament and was replaced by Vicente del Bosque who decided that, rather than ripping up his predecessor's blueprint, he would harness the tiki-taka brand. His system was slightly more defensive, however, as Sergio Busquets replaced the injured Senna and was partnered by Xabi Alonso to shore up the midfield.  Like West Germany, their route wasn't without its bumps. In the tournament opener, they lost 1-0 to Switzerland, which also entered the pantheon of great World Cup upsets, ensuring it was sudden-death from then on. Iker Casillas said he'd never felt as nervous as before their next match against Honduras. David Villa said similar about the final group game against Chile. *La* *Roja* won both to top the group. Nerve-shredding victories continued as the tiki-taka titans passed and pressed Portugal, Paraguay and Germany to death in three 1-0 victories to make the Soccer City showpiece against the Netherlands. Casillas twice foiled Arjen Robben, Johnny Heitinga saw red and Iniesta found the net with four minutes of extra time to spare to crown Spain as world champions for the first time.  Del Bosque then, incredibly, guided Spain to victory in Poland and Ukraine two years later to become the first nation to secure back-to-back EURO wins. ### **Did you know?****Did you know?** - Some 15 players won both the EURO 2008 and 2010 World Cup titles with Spain. Casillas, Joan Capdevila, Iniesta, Carlos Puyol, Sergio Ramos and Xavi started both finals. - A stunning nine players who featured in both squads have won more than 100 caps for Spain. Ramos has the most with 180 – only Cristiano Ronaldo has won more among Europeans.  - Spain joined the two West Germany sides and Argentina of 1978 as world champions who lost en route. They did, however, become the first to lose their opening match, with Argentina's 2022 later joining them. - The 2010 final was the first time two teams targeting a maiden World Cup triumph had met in the showpiece match since 1978. On that occasion, the Netherlands lost 3-1 to Argentina. - Del Bosque is the third World Cup-winning coach to have a moustache! He joins a select club with 1958 Brazil boss Aymore Moreira and Luiz Scolari from the *Seleção's* 2002 team.  France also held both the World Cup and EURO titles at the same time, but their victory in Belgium and the Netherlands came two years after the Zinedine Zidane-powered *Bleus* won their maiden World Cup in '98. Italy are the only other nation to win both, with their four World Cup wins coming in 1934, 1938, 1982 and 2006, and their EURO successes at the 1968 and 2020 tournaments. England, who won the FIFA World Cup in 1966, will look to join that group in the EURO 2024 final against Spain on 14 July.  ***

FIFA looks at the West Germany and Spain sides which ruled both European and world football simultaneously. - **Two sides have won the World Cup as reigning European champions** - **West Germany became the first continental kings to conquer the world** - **Spain sandwiched their 2010 triumph in between back-to-back EURO victories** Since the formation of the UEFA EURO in 1960, just two sides have conquered the continent before asserting their dominance by lifting the FIFA World Cup™ directly after. **FIFA** looks at the sides which made history.  *** ### **Muller inspires West Germany****Muller inspires West Germany** Up until 1980, the EURO was contested by just four sides. West Germany began their Belgium 1972 campaign against the hosts, where a Gerd Muller brace edged them into the final. He again netted twice there, either side of a Herbert Wimmer goal, to see off the Soviet Union in Brussels. West Germany then hosted the World Cup two years later looking to become the first-ever nation to lift the title as continental champions. They edged past Chile before defeating Australia with "another poor display", according to Muller, ensuring that their final group game against East Germany – the only time the two sides met at senior level – would decide who topped the section. That historic derby match produced one of the World Cup's biggest upsets, as the East triumphed 1-0 in Hamburg thanks to a late Jurgen Sparwasser strike. Muller later said that “all hell broke loose” following that game, prompting a change from West Germany which saw four places swapped out for their clash with Yugoslavia, which kicked off the second group stage. The pack shuffling worked, as Helmut Schon’s side won all three group games to book a final date with the Netherlands. While his team were progressive and exciting themselves, Schon planned to starve the ‘Total Football’ machine of possession, though he couldn’t prevent them from winning the toss. After just two minutes, with the hosts having not touched the ball, Johan Neeskens rifled home the fastest-ever World Cup final goal from the penalty spot to give the *Oranje* the lead. West Germany soon levelled courtesy of a spot-kick of their own by Paul Breitner, before the unstoppable Muller completed the turnaround on the stroke of half-time, which ultimately confirmed the nation's second world title.  ### **Did you know?****Did you know?** - Before winning the 1954 World Cup, West Germany faced a Schon-coached Saarland national team in qualifying, with the *Mannschaft* winning both games 3-0 and 3-1 respectively. Schon would become Sepp Herberger's assistant in 1956, before taking the top job eight years later. - West Germany were the first team to lose a game en route to winning the World Cup in '54 when they were defeated by Hungary in the group stage. They became the second team to do so 20 years later after being beaten by East Germany.  - A total of 14 players were a part of both the 1972 EURO and 1974 World Cup squads. Franz Beckenbauer, Breitner, Uli Hoeness, Sepp Maier, Muller and Hans-Georg Schwarzenbeck started both finals. - Referee Jack Taylor took time away from working as a butcher to officiate at the global finals. He awarded the first two World Cup final penalties; seven have been awarded since.  ## **Rampant Roja’s tika-taka triumph****Rampant Roja’s tika-taka triumph** Spain became the next team to hold both titles by 2010, though, unlike Germany, their victories came over two eras. Luis Aragones led his charges to EURO 2008 glory in Austria and Switzerland with a newly-adopted tiki-taka style which created a free-flowing, attack-minded machine. It was anchored by Marcos Senna and manned by Andres Iniesta and Xavi, with the latter setting up Fernando Torres to sink Germany in the Vienna final. Aragones left following the tournament and was replaced by Vicente del Bosque who decided that, rather than ripping up his predecessor's blueprint, he would harness the tiki-taka brand. His system was slightly more defensive, however, as Sergio Busquets replaced the injured Senna and was partnered by Xabi Alonso to shore up the midfield.  Like West Germany, their route wasn't without its bumps. In the tournament opener, they lost 1-0 to Switzerland, which also entered the pantheon of great World Cup upsets, ensuring it was sudden-death from then on. Iker Casillas said he'd never felt as nervous as before their next match against Honduras. David Villa said similar about the final group game against Chile. *La* *Roja* won both to top the group. Nerve-shredding victories continued as the tiki-taka titans passed and pressed Portugal, Paraguay and Germany to death in three 1-0 victories to make the Soccer City showpiece against the Netherlands. Casillas twice foiled Arjen Robben, Johnny Heitinga saw red and Iniesta found the net with four minutes of extra time to spare to crown Spain as world champions for the first time.  Del Bosque then, incredibly, guided Spain to victory in Poland and Ukraine two years later to become the first nation to secure back-to-back EURO wins. ### **Did you know?****Did you know?** - Some 15 players won both the EURO 2008 and 2010 World Cup titles with Spain. Casillas, Joan Capdevila, Iniesta, Carlos Puyol, Sergio Ramos and Xavi started both finals. - A stunning nine players who featured in both squads have won more than 100 caps for Spain. Ramos has the most with 180 – only Cristiano Ronaldo has won more among Europeans.  - Spain joined the two West Germany sides and Argentina of 1978 as world champions who lost en route. They did, however, become the first to lose their opening match, with Argentina's 2022 later joining them. - The 2010 final was the first time two teams targeting a maiden World Cup triumph had met in the showpiece match since 1978. On that occasion, the Netherlands lost 3-1 to Argentina. - Del Bosque is the third World Cup-winning coach to have a moustache! He joins a select club with 1958 Brazil boss Aymore Moreira and Luiz Scolari from the *Seleção's* 2002 team.  France also held both the World Cup and EURO titles at the same time, but their victory in Belgium and the Netherlands came two years after the Zinedine Zidane-powered *Bleus* won their maiden World Cup in '98. Italy are the only other nation to win both, with their four World Cup wins coming in 1934, 1938, 1982 and 2006, and their EURO successes at the 1968 and 2020 tournaments. England, who won the FIFA World Cup in 1966, will look to join that group in the EURO 2024 final against Spain on 14 July.