Spain are one game away from touching glory.
But while millions of fans will watch the World Cup final with their hearts in their mouths, cardiologists are issuing a warning: that tension can have consequences for some people.
Scientific evidence shows that high-intensity matches can increase the risk of heart attacks, arrhythmias and other cardiovascular events among those who already have heart disease or risk factors.
And it is not just a theory. One of the landmark studies, published after the 2006 World Cup in Germany in 'The New England Journal of Medicine', found that during the matches of the German national team cardiovascular emergencies multiplied by 2.7.
Two decades later, research by Bielefeld University, published this year in 'Scientific Reports', again confirmed that top-level football sends heart rate soaring and stress levels rising even in fans who simply watch the match from the sofa.
