Now both countries want something in return - the World Cup.
The nations will compete for football's ultimate prize at 6.30am Monday morning (NZ time), and the eyes of the world will be watching. Joining them will be two Dunedin friends with differing opinions. The battle lines have been drawn.
Dressed in red from head to toe, Carmen Aliberch is picking a Spanish victory.
"3-1", she says through a wide smile, after checking with her 12-year-old son Xavier Wood-Aliberch.
The 47-year-old is the first to admit she is not exactly an expert on the round ball game. But she politely disagrees with her friend of 10 years Werner van Harselaar's confident assertion it will be a "strong victory" for the Dutch.
Sporting a bright orange cap and an equally luminous jersey, van Harselaar added, "They'll be lucky to get a goal".
Neither have anything on Paul the Octopus - the psychic mollusc who corrected predicted the outcome of all six of Germany's games at the tournament.
Aliberch is planning to watch the game at a bar in the Octagon with "a bunch" of her Spanish, and token Spanish, friends. She moved to Dunedin 15 years ago and seldom returns to her homeland. But she remains very proud of her Spanish heritage.
"Even if we lose we will celebrate," Aliberch said.
Van Harselaar will be in Wanaka for the final. The 48-year-old was born in Rotorua but has "gone back" to the Netherlands three times and has an affinity with the national team.
"They're my second favourite side," he said.
Van Harselaar grew up watching the great Dutch teams of the mid and late '70s.
"It was always wonderful to see how good the Dutch were and how they dominated everyone but failed to actually win the final. Now is the time to win the final.
"But the thing about it is there will be two sets of supporters who will be really fanatical, they'll be really friendly and have a lot of fun."
