Neymar, who opened the scoring on 27 minutes, converted the winning spot-kick after the keeper Weverton saved the previous penalty from Nils Petersen. Max Meyer levelled at 1-1 just before the hour mark. “It’s not a bitter blow. We knew it could end in penalties. We had the chance to win the game before that. Before the penalties I told the lads they’d done something outstanding. We leave here as winners not losers,” said coach Trainer Horst Hrubesch after his last match in charge for Germany: “Of course, I did want a gold medal as did the lads but I’m still happy. We spent the last four days in the Olympic Village and that was a fantastic experience.”
Brandt strikes first
Julian Brandt provided the first excitement in an incredibly intensive encounter when he rifled a shot against the bar from the edge of the box on 11 minutes. Brazil had more luck when Neymar hit a free kick just under the bar to give Brazil the lead on 27 minutes. The bar intervened again to frustrate a shot from Meyer (31’) and a header from Sven Bender (35’) – three times against the goal frame is a lot of woodwork.
Bender goes off
The deserved equaliser came after the restart: Julian Brandt put Jeremy Toljan through on the right and his cross was met by Meyer who turned it into the bottom corner to level at 1-1 on 59 minutes. A setback followed as the battler Lars Bender had to go off injured after putting in an heroic defensive run to keep out Renato Augusto on 65 minutes.
It was a no-holds barred encounter all the way with Brandt having another effort on goal in extra time but his impressive shot flew just over the target on 97 minutes. Brandt converted his penalty in the shoot-out as the third German player up with a shot into the right corner. The two sides remained inseparable until Weverton saved from Petersen and Neymar took the roof off the Maracana with the winning penalty.
A sensational effort by Germany ended in silver – and the recognition that a team put together late on could have a fantastic tournament. Well done, Lars and Julian.
Bayer 04 are back at the BayArena! Under the slogan “One day. Two teams. One club.”, the Leverkusen stadium grounds will be transformed into a world of experiences – with a wide range of exclusive activities both on and off the pitch. Keep track of all the highlights in our blog for the 2026 season launch.
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Kicking off the new season with a fresh look: Bayer 04, in collaboration with sportswear manufacturer New Balance, has unveiled the official kit for Leverkusen’s e-Sports players for the coming season. The jersey is now available from the Bayer 04 online shop and the Fanwelt.
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Paulo Sergio and Bayer 04 have enjoyed close ties since the Werkself training camp in his native Brazil last summer. The club legend is in charge of the Bayer 04 Soccer Academy, which opened in the summer of 2025, and he has also been at this year’s training camp in the Weimarer Land. As well as interacting with the many fans who travelled to the camp, the 1994 World Cup winner used the time to plan the next steps for the Academy together with club officials. In an interview with bayer04.de, Sergio spoke about the project’s future development, the upcoming visit by young Academy players to Leverkusen, and plans for the coming months in Germany and Brazil.
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A round-up of the Werkself training camp in the Weimarer Land, all in one place: in our daily blog you’ll find all the insights and updates from the day. Day five (Thursday 6 August) is as follows: The squad have the final open session of the training camp in the morning. After lunch, there will be a team event.
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When Afonso Moreira arrived for his interview with bayer04.de, he had to take a deep breath first. Asked how the morning session had gone, the 21-year-old replied with a slight smile: “Tough. Intense.” That’s really sums up the workload for the Werkself so far at the training camp in the Weimarer Land region. Head coach Carles Martínez and his team demand hard work, team spirit and the determination to improve every day. Those are values Moreira wholeheartedly identifies with – and the Portuguese player has not only taken them to heart, but also permanently noted in the form of a tattoo.
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