The Miracle of Bern

Summer 1954: In a small mining village in Essen, eleven-year-old Matthias Lubanski waits with his mother and siblings, filled with hope and concern, for the return of his father from Soviet captivity. Christa Lubanski has endured great hardships during the war and the post-war years for herself and her children.

By now, football-enthusiast Matthias has found a father figure in his idol, the Essen striker star and national player Helmut Rahn. As a bag carrier for the "Boss," Matthias earns a few pennies, and Rahn assures him that he can only win if Matthias is there as his mascot during the games. Matthias takes this to heart.

At the same time, Switzerland is preparing for the clash of the best football teams in the world. While Sepp Herberger and his team head to the World Cup, the Lubanski family in Essen faces a breaking point: father Richard returns closed off and aggressive. When the German team unexpectedly reaches the finals, Matthias is determined to go to Bern to bring luck to Rahn - but Richard Lubanski has no understanding for his son's dreams.