• FIFA+ spotlights some spellbinding stats behind West Germany's triumph at Italia '90

• Messrs Brehme, Illgner, Matthaus, Klinsmann star

• One managed a mind-blowing feat

Amid 'The Fall of the Wall', Franz Beckenbauer and soldiers had another bulging blockade to break through. It comprised two of their fiercest rivals; the reigning European and the defending world champions, Dragan Stojkovic, Carlos Valderrama, Marco van Basten, Tomas Skuhravy, Paul Gascoigne and Diego Maradona; and injury, stricture, suspension and missing studs. They nevertheless did it, and they did it in style. FIFA+ presents the statistical story of West Germany’s conquering of the 1990 FIFA World Cup Italy™.

The 12 men who represented Germany in the Rome decider retired with a staggering 1,001 caps between them (83 per player on average). Argentina’s 13 players called it quits with 480 (37).

Seventy-six West Germans who didn’t make their squad scored more goals in the 1989/90 Bundesliga than Frank Mill, who was one of four strikers included. Mill hit just two goals in 24 appearances for Borussia Dortmund, hadn’t scored in 17 internationals, and was approaching 32 years of age, yet unexpectedly got the nod ahead of the likes of Stefan Kuntz, Roland Wohlfarth and Fritz Walter.

Thirty-three years and four months was the age at which Paul Steiner became Germany’s fourth-oldest debutant, as a substitute against Denmark in their final warm-up game. The Cologne defender never played for his country again but retired with as many World Cup winners’ medals as caps. Steiner remains the fifth-oldest player to have debuted for the Germans behind Karl Tewes (debut 1920, 34 years and 39 days), Karl Sesta (debut 1941, 35 years and 83 days), Matthias Mauritz (debut 1959, 34 years and 188 days) and Martin Max (debut 2002, 33 years and 253 days).

Jurgen Klinsmann’s exhibition against the Netherlands seized an unparalleled 30 per cent of the votes in a poll to crown the best individual performance of Italia ‘90. After his strike partner Rudi Voller was sent off in the first quarter of the Round-of-16 game, “Klinsmann played for them both in a brilliant, almost perfect performance,” according to Suddeutsche Zeitung. In the vote, cast by media members, it beat, in order, the performances of Dragan Stojkovic against Spain, Guido Buchwald against Argentina, Roger Milla against Colombia, Lothar Matthaus against Yugoslavia and Michel against Korea Republic.

Twenty-five minutes: that was the earliest West Germany scored one of their 15 goals at Italy 1990. The same country had netted seven of their goals by the 25th minute at Switzerland 1954. Only one other World Cup-winning team took longer to net a goal than West Germany in 1990 – Brazil four years later, albeit by merely a minute.

Bodo Illgner, who was 23, remains the youngest goalkeeper to play in a World Cup final. His opposite number in the semi-finals, England’s Peter Shilton, made his top-flight debut for Leicester City one year before Ilgner was even born!

Andreas Brehme’s title-winning strike was the 13th successive spot-kick Germany scored at the World Cup. The Hamburg native, who had missed the only penalty he had taken in normal time at international level, stepped up because first-choice taker Matthaus had lost one of the studs on his right-boot. Brehme remains the only player to have incredibly scored penalties with both feet in the World Cup.

West Germany netted 10 goals in Group D. Of the 12 sides to have scored double-digits in their first-phase pool, only one other has gone on to lift the trophy: Brazil in 2002.

Andreas Brehme – playing at left-back – remarkably got six combined goals and assists at Italy 1990. It was the second-highest return behind Italy striker Salvatore Schillaci, who got seven (six goals, one assist), and is comfortably a record for a defender at one World Cup.

West Germany took five games to keep a clean sheet in Italy. Italy of 1938 are the only other World Cup-winning team to fail to keep a shutout in their first four outings. Ironically, Illgner became the first goalkeeper to keep a clean sheet in its final – something he didn’t realise until a reporter asked him about it in Illinois during USA 1994!

Five of the West Germans who began the final were based at Italian clubs. Brehme, Matthaus and Klinsmann represented Inter Milan, while Thomas Berthold and Voller were at Roma. No other triumphant team has started the decider with more than four players based in the same foreign country.

Three countries have lifted the trophy without trailing during their campaign, with West Germany being the last in 1990. Italy did it in 1938, when they played only four matches, and ’82.

Beckenbauer’s side scored two volleys in 23 minutes in their final qualifier to dramatically snatch a place at Italy 1990. West Germany finished behind the Netherlands in Group 4, and would have lost out to Denmark in the battle for one of Europe’s two runners-up places had they not beaten Wales. Trailing to a Malcolm Allen goal, efforts from Voller and Thomas Hassler – a corker to mark his first at international level – spared the two-time world champions’ blushes.

Only one man in World Cup history has managed the wondrous feat of scoring a goal with each foot from outside the box in the same game – Matthaus against a formidable Yugoslavia side in 1990. The 29-year-old midfielder lithely spun his marker and, with his left foot – something he claims he was only taught to use by Giovanni Trapattoni the previous year – fired the ball into the bottom corner from 24 yards to break the deadlock. Matthaus then carried the ball from inside his own-half, stylishly side-stepping Davor Jozic en route, and powered the ball home from just under 30 yards.

Full match replays Search here for all 52 games West Germany 4-1 Yugoslavia West Germany 5-1 United Arab Emirates West Germany 1-1 Colombia West Germany-Netherlands Czechoslovakia-West Germany West Germany 1-1 England Match highlights Search here for all 16 knockout-phase games Goals Search here for all 115 goals

Awards Salvatore Schillaci | Golden Ball Lothar Matthaus | Silver Ball Diego Maradona | Bronze Ball Salvatore Schillaci | Golden Shoe Tomas Skuhravy | Silver Shoe Gary Lineker | Bronze Boot Roger Milla | Bronze Boot Robert Prosinecki | Best Young Player

Official film Soccer Shoot-Out

Other videos Best assists Best goals Best saves Best skills Every West Germany goal Every Argentina goal Trophy lift Sergio Goycochea | Discovering Gheorghe Hagi | Discovering Roger Milla | Discovering Rincon saves Colombia | Remix The most incredible Argentina-Brazil | Remix Tears: Paul Gascoigne | Eyes of the World Totò | Golden Boot