​In the 88th minute of the 2014 FIFA World Cup Final, Mario Götze entered the pitch with a singular mission: deliver the World Cup trophy for Germany.The legendary account suggests that during the halftime break in extra time, Germany head coach Joachim Löw addressed Götze – who had come on for all-time World Cup top scorer Miroslav Klose – instructing him to “show the world you are better than [Lionel] Messi and decide the World Cup.” Götze’s recollection of Löw’s exact words remains hazy. Yet what followed is etched in everyone’s memory.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIn the 113th minute, Götze fired home a volley to seal a 1-0 win against Argentina. While Messi has since captured the one honor that escaped him and could hoist the trophy again in New York, it was Götze’s name – not Messi’s – that became immortalized in World Cup history on football’s grandest stage in Rio de Janeiro.Who is the referee for the Spain vs France FIFA World Cup semifinal?-Credit:Robert Cianflone, Getty Images”Maybe he did say that, but to be fair, in the moment, you have so many thoughts,” Götze exclusively told The Mirror U.S. “You’re in the zone. You just want to play, and you don’t really absorb anything. I think he just wanted me to get an extra push in that moment. But to be fair, I barely remember what he said in that moment there.”The iconic image of Götze cushioning André Schürrle’s delivery on his chest before striking past Sergio Romero has emerged as one of the most memorable sequences in World Cup lore. Yet the pinnacle achievement of his career nearly didn’t materialize.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAfter finding himself on the sidelines for the 7-1 thrashing of Brazil and earning only a fleeting cameo in the quarterfinal clash, Götze braced himself for the prospect that his World Cup journey had reached its conclusion. Instead, he etched his name into German folklore.”It’s very difficult to prepare for these moments because you never know what might happen. I came on late, and if Argentina scored, I would have played one minute and then gone home,” Götze said. “There are countless small things and nuances that can decide moments, and decide if you’re going to reach the pinnacle of the sport or you come second and head home. You can’t really prepare for it.”You try your best, of course, and I tried to stay in my zone. Throughout the game, I had all these thoughts about whether I would be brought in. I didn’t play in the semifinals and barely played in the quarterfinals, so I was prepared to play but not expecting anything.To listen to the latest episode of ‘All Out Soccer’ – CLICK HEREAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement”The final is different and incredibly special because it’s the last game and last chance to do anything in the tournament. You just want to win, and the goal is a great memory I bear with me. It was such an amazing moment, scoring in the pinnacle of soccer in Rio, in Brazil, with the German national team i