Brazil 1-7 Germany: Where are they now?

Germany forwards

Thomas Muller

Muller hammered the first nail in Brazil's coffin

The ultimate footballing paradox, Thomas Muller doesn't possess outrageous pace or dribbling skills but has that knack of turning up at the right place at the right time.

In the preceding FIFA World Cup in 2010, he won the Golden Boot for his five goals and was also voted the Best Young Player. The last couple of seasons has seen him experience an uncharacteristic difficulty in scoring goals. But there's no doubting his abilities and the qualities he brings to Bayern and Germany whenever he steps on the pitch.

He scored Germany's opening goal against Brazil to signal the beginning of the rout. He's still at Bayern and very much a part of Joachim Low's plans for Germany.

At 28 years old, he has a solid 4-5 years left in him.

Mesut Ozil

Ozil celebrates a goal against Stoke at the Emirates

Ozil might be criticised by fans and critics for his very low defensive work rate, but there's absolutely no doubting his abilities.

Ozil was a constant presence on the teamsheet at Real Madrid but still chose to move to Arsenal in 2013 following the acquisitions of Isco and Bale. At Arsenal, he's had several ups and downs but he did win 3 FA Cups in his three seasons in London, assisting twice for Alexis in the 2015 Wembley final against Reading.

At his peak, Ozil's incredible passing range is astounding. At his worst, he can be frustratingly slow on the ball. But he's still very much a part of Wenger's plans at Arsenal, having arrived in London a year before the 2014 World Cup.

Miroslav Klose

Miroslav Klose celebrates his record-breaking goal against Brazil

Klose might not be the first name to come to your mind when you think of legendary strikers, but he will forever go into the history books for being the all-time top goalscorer in World Cups.

His 23rd-minute goal against Brazil was his 16th in four World Cups. He's played for both Werder Bremen and Bayern but the major chunk of his professional career was with Italian side Lazio.

Although his only major trophy during his time in Rome was the 2013 Coppa Italia, he did become the highest non-Italian goalscorer for Lazio when he scored against Fiorentina in the final matchday of the 2015/16 season.

Following his retirement at both club and international level, he is now a part of the German national team's coaching staff.

3 years on

A lot has changed since that historic semifinal - following another humiliation at the hands of the Dutch, Luiz Felipe Scolari tendered his resignation on 15th July. His successor Dunga was sacked after Brazil crashed out of the Copa America in 2016.

Under current head coach Tite, however, things are looking up for the Pentacampeão. Youngsters like Gabriel Jesus, Neymar, Coutinho and Firminho have breathed life into the squad, once again making them a potent force on the global stage and one of the contenders for next summer's showpiece in Russia.

Germany, on the other hand, have not lost steam. Joachim Low remains at the helm, and his tactical genius guided a new look German side filled with upcoming youngsters to the Confederation Cup earlier this year.

Much of that 2014 squad still remains intact in spite of the retirements of Lahm and Schweinsteiger. Much like Brazil, they have a bunch of younger, more energetic players to carry forward the legacy of their predecessors.