Brazil beat Germany in a penalty shoot-out to end their long wait for an Olympic Games football gold medal in the most dramatic of circumstances at an emotionally charged Maracanã on Saturday (20 August).
The hosts' talisman Neymar stepped up to score the winning spot-kick and seal a 5-4 shoot-out win after goalkeeper Weverton had saved Germany's fifth penalty, taken by Nils Petersen. Neymar, who fell to his knees and broke down in tears after sinking the decisive penalty, had initially put Brazil ahead in the 26th minute with a spectacular free-kick, which was cancelled out by Max Meyer's second-half equaliser for Germany.
As well as ending a quest for football gold that had become a Brazilian national obsession, the hosts' victory also went some way to healing the deep wounds inflicted by the last meeting between these two sides - a 7-1 victory for Germany in the 2014 FIFA World Cup semi-final.