Every major tournament is defined by a series of major moments that will likely live on for years to come.

Here is a look at the defining moments of the 2014 FIFA World Cup prior to the big final on Sunday:

1. Dethroning the Champs

No defending World Cup champion had ever been eliminated after just two games. No World Cup champion had ever been beaten by more than three goals.

Then, history was made when Spain was destroyed 5-1 by the Dutch and then eliminated in the second match by Chile at the Maracana. The idea that the defending World Cup champions, a team that had made history by winning three straight major tournaments in a row, could look so powerless was unfathomable. But there they were. The greatest generation of soccer players the world has ever seen, the greatest team in the history of the game was completely destroyed in its opener despite a solid first half. In just 45 minutes, the team conceded four goals and set itself up for the most embarrassing moment of the tournament. Fortunately, it would not stand as the most ignominious moment of the tournament.

2. Costa Rica dominates the Group of Death

The CONCACAF is looked upon as one of the weaker confederations in the world, but in this tournament, three of the four members of the organization managed to get out of the knockout rounds. Costa Rica's was undoubtedly the most impressive of the performances. The team was expected to be the whipping boy in a group that included Italy, Uruguay and England. However, the team stunned Uruguay 3-1 in the opener before taking down Italy 1-0 in the follow-up. The team continued making history by advancing to the quarterfinals and almost beating the Dutch. Costa Rica wound up eliminated in a shootout but did not lose a single game leading up to that.

3. CONCACAF Goalies

Not to harp on the outstanding showing by the CONCACAF, but not enough can be said about the way goalies from the confederation played. Keylor Navas was a catalyst for Costa Rica, as was Tim Howard for the United States. Guillermo Ochoa had the big night against Brazil before Howard put up a record-breaking 15 saves against the Belgians.

4. Team USA Gets Out of Group G

Many considered Group G the true "Group of Death," as it contained Germany, Portugal, Ghana and the U.S. Most believed that the Americans would fail to cope with the rigorous competition, but the team more than managed by beating Ghana, tying Portugal (despite being seconds away from winning against them) and losing against Germany. Team USA would then get dominated by Belgium before putting up a convincing attempt at a failed comeback in the knockout round of 16. It was a strong showing overall from the Americans.

5. James Rodriguez and Colombia

Undoubtedly, no single player has had as much impact on this tournament as James Rodriguez has.

The Colombian epitomized everything that was so lovable about his country. The fun, the skill, the directness, the coolness, the killer instinct. Everything. Rodriguez is likely a lock to win the best young player award in this tournament and certainly deserves a chance to win the Golden Boot. Meanwhile, Colombia's terrific attack made them the neutral's favorite to win it all.

6. Poor Refereeing

Colombia's exit at the hands of Brazil was the result of some questionable refereeing. The aborted Mario Yepes goal and the lack of yellow cards despite some horrific tackles on Rodriguez made it difficult for Colombia to play. The viciousness of the game also led to Neymar's unfortunate injury.

But refereeing was suspect in a number of other games, namely the opener between Croatia and Brazil in which Fred was awarded a penalty due to a dive and Croatia lost a goal on a controversial play. Arjen Robben's infamous dive gave the Dutch a win over Mexico while Spain's Diego Costa earned a penalty against the Dutch that was far from an infraction. Other examples of poor refereeing include the Costa Rica-Greece round of 16 match, the Italy-Uruguay group game and the Mexico-Cameroon group game.

7. Brazil's 7-1 Hammering at the Hands of Germany

If there is one moment that will define this World Cup forever it will be the Mineirazo/Mineiratzen on July 8. No one would have anticipated that when David Luiz and Julio Cesar held up Neymar's jersey to the crowd, that pundits would criticize the act for being the beginning of the end for the team. Brazil attacked with such reckless abandon in the opening, that Germany scored 11 minutes in and was up 5-0 by the 29 minute mark. It was the most embarrassing moment in Brazilian soccer and probably the most ignominious moment for any team in the sport ever. The team would conceded two more in the second half and stare at a woeful 7-1 defeat. No team had ever lost by such a margin in the semifinals. Brazil had never lost by such a margin. Brazil had not lost at home in a competitive match in decades. It all came crashing down in what will probably be the most infamous day in the country's soccer history. It is also the defining moment of this World Cup, regardless of what happens on Sunday.

8. Luis Suarez's Bite

It may be a distraction, but there is no doubt that when people look back on this tournament, they will remember the infamous moment when Luis Suarez decided to bite Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini. It was a disappointing moment for those who placed their faith in Suarez and was especially crippling to his country. Whether or not the Uruguayan star ever turns it around is yet to be seen. But people may not forgive him after his behavior on the biggest stage ever.

9. The Boring Knockout Games

After a thrilling set of group games in which goals came consistently, the world was treated to a rather woeful set of knockout games. The Dutch failed to score in their quarterfinals and semifinals matches, while Argentina scraped by with a pair of 1-0 wins and a penalty shootout against the Dutch to advance to the finals.The France-Germany game was a snoozefest that lost its air after an early goal while the match between Greece and Costa Rica was one of the more frustrating displays of ineptitude to date. The Colombia-Brazil quarterfinal was hyped up to be a great showcase of soccer and wound up delivering the ugly game in all of its ignominy.

The most memorable knockout games? The USA-Belgium meeting and the 7-1 thumping of Brazil by the Germans.