Ballack World Cup ban: "It's biggest disappointment of my career"

Germany’s match-winner Michael Ballack says he is crushed at being banned for Sunday’s World Cup final.

The new Bayern Munich signing scored the 75th minute goal which took Germany to their seventh World Cup final appearance to face Brazil or Turkey in Yokohama on Sunday.

But Ballack was booked four minutes earlier for a foul in the win over South Korea to receive his second booking of the knockout rounds and an automatic one match ban for the final.

"Not playing in the final is the biggest disappointment of my career," Ballack said after the game.

"When a player achieves his dream of reaching a World Cup final and then can't play it is one of the most difficult things to accept. Despite this, I am very proud of our qualification. Not many people believed in us, and now we find ourselves battling for the world's most coveted trophy.”