5 unforgettable memories from the 2014 FIFA World Cup 

It's that time of the year when Madrid and Barcelona admirers come together, the noisy neighbors in Manchester wear the same jerseys and all roads in the footballing world lead to just one destination, Russia.

The 2018 FIFA World Cup is a few days away from commencement and billions of fans across the globe are eagerly waiting for the select 32 countries to battle it out against each other for the coveted tag of "World Champions"

Some big names like Italy, Netherlands, Chile etc. missing out on this amazing trip, and that's a huge blow, but it won't do any damage to the excitement.

Defending champions Germany once again enter as one of the favorites whilst the likes of Belgium, France, Spain, Brazil, and Argentina have some great names on paper.

As we gear up for the greatest sporting extravaganza on the planet, let's take a look at some iconic moments and incidents from the previous edition of this tournament.

Brazil played hosts to one of the most unforgettable World Cups of all time and there were a plethora of incidents which will remain immortal for good and bad reasons.

Of all those iconic moments, here are five memories which shall remain unfaded in fans' hearts for a long time to come.

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#5 That goal from James Rodriguez!

Rodriguez scored one of the finest goals in World Cup history against Uruguay in the Round of 16.

When the Colombian fans learned that Radamel Falcao is all set to miss the 2014 World Cup, they were disappointed and shattered. It was a huge blow for them considering how well he has carried the side over the years.

They needed a new hero to rise up and it was James Rodriguez who did the job for his side. A young talent playing for Monaco in France, Rodriguez wasn't a name which popped up when experts talked about the future of the beautiful game.

Rodriguez scored in all the group stage games and the Los Cafeteros topped Group C. It was a mouthwatering South American clash in the Round of 16 at the Maracana as Uruguay collided with Colombia.

In the 28th minute, the ball was headed towards the youngster just outside the box. He did something absolutely outrageous, a feat which ensured the entire world took notice. It was a moment of a lifetime for Rodriguez and one for the fans to savor.

He chested the ball slightly to his right, gave himself a millisecond to turn and volleyed the ball to the top corner, an effort which literally kept the goal-keeper out of contention from saving it.

He scored a brace in that game which helped Colombia stun a Suarez-less Uruguay 2-0 and they faced Brazil in the Quarters. Colombia lost the game 2-1, but they already had won a lot of appreciation for the spirit they showcased.

Real Madrid then signed Rodriguez for a whopping fee and later on, that goal in the Round of 16 earned him the prestigious Puskas Award.

#4 Costa Rica wins the "Group of Death"

Costa Rica's journey was no less than a fairytale

"Who will be winning the group of death, I guess Italy will romp through"

"Italy, England, and Uruguay in one group, are you kidding me?"

"This group will provide some stupendous entertainment!"

"Take a moment and express your condolences for Costa Rica!"

This was the fans' reaction when they Italy, England, Uruguay and Costa Rica were drawn in Group D. Amidst all the predictions and speculations on who the unlucky team is going to be, not one person cared to notice Costa Rica's presence in the group.

Uruguay was expected to win their opener comfortably against the Costa Ricans and they took the lead as well as Edinson Cavani converted a penalty early in the first half.

But three goals from Joel Campbell, Oscar Duarte, and Marco Urena stunned the La Celeste players and admirers. Despite registering a 3-1 victory in that game, people were still not convinced that Costa Rica will go through to the knockouts.

Then came a result which ranks right up there amongst the best in their history. Bryan Ruiz's 44th-minute strike helped them beat Italy 1-0 and it was time for the footballing world to rise up and applaud.

After a 0-0 draw against England, they ended up amassing 7 points in the group stages. Against all the odds, they won the Group of death, which saw England and Italy go home.

The fairytale had another chapter as they defeated Greece via penalties in the Round of 16. They battled hard against the Netherlands in the Quarters, but the Dutch just about sneaked through.

Here are the highlights of that incredible game between Costa Rica and Greece, which took them to the final 8 for the first time in their history.

#3 Luis Suarez's "Lovebite" for Chiellini

An incident that shocked the footballing world!

Two teams who were under the pump thanks to Costa Rica's tremendous run were up against each other in Natal. It was a must-win encounter for Italy to keep their hopes alive whilst the same result for Uruguay would've avoided further complications.

Uruguay had some big names in the frontline like Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani whilst Italy's defense was as good as one can ask for. As many expected, the game had a fair share of drama and Football was not the only talking point.

After a goalless first half, there was a slight twist in the tale as Claudio Marchisio's reckless challenge on Egidio Rios earned him a straight red, which led to Italy tweaking their set up to a 5-3-1 formation.

Just when the game was heading into the final 10 minutes of normal time, Suarez sparked one of the greatest controversies of all time. Suarez was tussling it out with Giorgio Chiellini in the box and out of the blue, he bit Chiellini on his shoulder and both players were down on the floor.

The incident paused the game for a good 5-7 minutes, as Chiellini kept pleading the referee to take notice and hand Suarez a red card. That didn't happen and the referee didn't penalize Suarez even with a yellow.

Just a few moments later, Diego Godin's header earner Uruguay the lead, which eventually was the difference between both the sides. Italy were knocked out of the Championship, but a non-footballing issue made the headline on every newspaper across the globe.

The repercussions of the incident were severe as Fifa banned him for nine internationals, all football for four months and fined him 100,000 Swiss francs.

Here's the video of that bizarre incident.

#2 Mario Goetze's moment of a lifetime

Germany v Argentina: 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Final

Three-time champions Germany were all set to take on a highly spirited Argentine unit, who badly wanted to win the trophy for their talismanic winger Lionel Messi. A lot was on the line for both sides and drama was inevitable.

Surprisingly, the Germans were the first victims of this huge occasion as Toni Kroos (Of all the players), gifted Argentina a golden opportunity. His horrendous backpass went straight to Gonzalo Higuain, who had just Neuer separating him and a goal.

But the Napoli striker (Then) waywardly failed to hit the target. The La Albiceleste frontline kept knocking the German doors for a goal and created some incredible chances.

Higuain was flagged offside when he scored a few minutes after he missed that brilliant chance. After a plethora of chances went to bed for both sides, it was all down to extra time and penalty shootout was certainly on cards.

Just before the fulltime whistle, Mario Goetze replaced Miroslav Klose and the rest, as they say, is history. Of all the players in the star-studded German contingent, it was this youngster who walked out with all the spotlight.

In the 113th minute, he scored arguably the greatest goal of his career which eventually helped Germany win the title. He first chested Andre Schurrle's cross and neatly volleyed it past Sergio Romero's left side in the 6-yard box.

Germany were the champions of the world and it was a massive heartbreak for the Argentine contingent. But still, Goetze's goal was not the most talked-about story of the 2014 World Cup.

#1 The greatest footballing catastrophe of all time

Brazil suffered the worst defeat in their history on the biggest of occasions possible.

Despite setting up a marquee clash with archrivals Germany in the Semis, there were severe concerns amongst the Brazilian faithful as Neymar Jr was ruled out of the tournament after suffering a horrendous injury in the game against Colombia in the quarterfinals.

Many touted that his absence gives the Germans a "Slight edge" over the hosts. But as it turned out, it wasn't Neymar's absence, but Thiago Silva's suspension which proved to be decisive.

Silva was suspended after receiving two yellow cards in the tournament and Brazil went with Dante and David Luiz as their Center backs for this huge game. Without their talismanic leader, the Brazilian defense was all over the place.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5 - It was that easy for the German maestros to nullify the hosts, who took a humongous 5-0 lead inside 30 minutes. There was no hiding place for the players or the manager as tears were flooding not just in Belo Horizonte, but across the country.

Before 2014, Brazil had previously hosted a World Cup in 1950. A rampant Brazilian side man-handled every side and entered the finals, only to suffer a shocking 2-1 defeat to Uruguay in the ultimate clash.

That game resulted in several suicides and the fans were absolutely distraught. It was something similar after all these years at the Mineirao, as the Germans annihilated Brazil 7-1 and eventually won the World Cup beating Argentina in the final.

It was a heartbreak which led to the demolition of Fred, their number 9 for the campaign, who in a way went into hiding. Luis Felipe Scolari was sacked as the head coach and just the way it happened in 1950, many fans killed themselves failing to digest the pain.

Brazilian history had many legendary moments and many justify their status as the greatest Footballing country in the world. But if ever they had to reminisce all the appalling moments, this would rank first without a shadow of a doubt.