Synopsis
Summer 1954. In a small housing estate in Essen, 11-year-old Matthias Lubanski, along with his mother and siblings, anxiously awaits the return of his father, a prisoner of war.However, football-loving Matthias has long since found a surrogate father in the national-league player Helmut Rahn. The boy also earns a bit of money as his "boss's" bag carrier. Rahn has even convinced Matthias that he can only win as long as the boy attends the games as his mascot. Matthias is only too willing to believe him...
In the meantime, preparations are underway in Switzerland for the encounter of the world's best football teams. As the German team travels to the world championship, in Essen the Lubanskis face a major ordeal. Ever since his return, Richard - Matthias's father - has been sullen and aggressive. When the German team unexpectedly makes it to the finals, Matthias insists on traveling to Bern so that he can bring luck to his idol Rahn. But Richard Lubanski has no sympathy for his son's dreams. On 4 July 1954 everything must be decided...
