Seeds of finalists' talent sown years ago

When the 22 players representing Germany and Argentina step out onto the Maracana pitch for Sunday's World Cup final, roughly half will be fulfilling prophecies made in the previous decade.

From Argentina captain Lionel Messi to Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, the lineups will reflect the fact that glory for both teams has been in the pipeline for some time.

The backbone of the Germany team that eviscerated host Brazil 7-1 in the semifinals was drawn from the Under-21 side that triumphed at the European Championship in 2009.