&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Two World Cups, Two Different Feet: Relive the genius of Andreas Brehme's ice-cold penalties")
Germany is on a roll at the ongoing FIFA World Cup 2026. After crushing the newcomers, Curaçao (7-1) in their opener, they await Ivory Coast in their next fixture. With four world titles behind their back, they are among the top contenders to equal Brazil’s tally in this edition.
Here we will read about a ‘true ambidextrous player’, Andreas Brehme, who scored with both right and left feet in successive editions, becoming the only player to do so. Most importantly, he did so in a World Cup final, the pressure magnitude of which is unmatched. And the best part is, he wasn't even supposed to take that winning penalty.
The Broken Boot That Changed History
West Germany was facing Argentina in the final of the 1990 edition, having gone goalless until the 85th minute, when Germany was awarded a penalty. Lothar Matthäus was supposed to take that penalty, being the side’s designated penalty-taker; however, because he broke his boot sole in the first half and didn’t trust his replacement cleats, he decided against taking it.
The result? Andreas Brehme was asked to fill in for him and do the honours.
)
FIFA World Cup 2026 Live on Zee5 Photograph: (WION)
“I cracked the sole in my boot in the first half,” said Matthäus in a chat with FIFA. “I didn’t have any spares, so I just had to use the only spare pair the kitman had. They didn’t fit properly, and I liked worn-in boots anyway.
“When we got the penalty, I told Andi to take it. We had other options, outstanding penalty takers, but Andi was my roommate, and I knew he was the right man.”
What happened next never happened before. He converted that penalty into a goal, helping West Germany clinch its third FIFA World Cup. That, however, was not the talking point. How he did it was.
So, what was special about his penalty kick?
He struck the goal with his right foot, having already scored a penalty with his left foot during the 1986 World Cup knockout game against Mexico. Having done it with both feet, he created a unique piece of history, becoming the first and only player to score penalties with both feet across two World Cup editions.
That’s not all!
Trending Stories
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
How fast can the Sukhoi Su-30 fighter jet really fly?
)
Did China ask its people 'not to respond to aliens'? Origin of bizarre claim on social media
)
MS Dhoni-CSK Fallout? Report claims failed stake sale talks triggered rift
)
Scientists reveal the SAFEST COUNTRY when catastrophe strikes the planet
)
Serial killer on the loose in South Korea's Jeju Island? Fourth body found in three days as more than a dozen people go missing
)
2/3rd of glacier detached, collapsed: ISRO satellite images reveal what triggered Nepal floods
)
Trump once again claims without him there would be ‘no Israel right now’
)
Foreign espionage attacks against German companies surge to 37%, Bitkom report reveals
)
Blake Lively wins partial legal fee from Justin Baldoni after $8M request
)
Why is Pakistan deploying Turkish Bayraktar TB2 drones near India border?
)
'OH MY GOD! We've found other agents!': Investigators discover not one or two, almost 700 OpenAI AI agents went rogue, hacked Hugging Face
)
Lunar eclipse 2026: India timings, places to see and more. August Blood moon factsheet
)
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on global outreach tour
)
Both pilots killed as training aircraft crashes in Lucknow – What we know
)
16-year-old charged with preparing terror attack on kindergarten in Norway
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
How the S-400 protects itself from enemy attacks
)
Nepal floods: Over 165 dead, 400 missing; US, India, China, World Bank mobilise aid
)
India's multi-layered watch: The new surveillance war
)
5 doomsday planes spotted in US skies hours after CIA director's secret trip to Russia
)
9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed to finally face trial in 2028, nearly 27 years after horrific attacks
)
Islamabad hospital fire: What we know about one of the biggest facility that housed Imran Khan
)
Workers run for life while filming Nepal flash flood: Scary new visuals emerge from Rasuwa
)
Russian military planes enter South Korean air defence zone amid rising tensions with North Korea: What's happening
)
Ron Weasley Is Back! Rupert Grint set to return to Harry Potter universe on Broadway
)
400-year-old 'vampire' grave in Poland reveals non-existent genetic lineage
)
Dolly Parton, global icon and queen of country music, dies at 80
)
Nepal flash floods: Kailash Mansarovar yatra affected, close to 400 pilgrims out of contact
)
'If he is dead, they're putting on a pretty good show': Trump casts fresh doubt over Mojtaba Khamenei's fate
)
Man arrested near US Capitol with guillotine in pickup truck: What happened?
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI cockpit is painted bright turquoise green
Interestingly, earlier in the same edition in Italy, against Yugoslavia, Brehme became the only player ever to score from outside the box in a World Cup game with both feet.
