A Euro 1980 qualifying fixture against Wales in October 1979 gave Briegel his first chance to shine for West Germany and he did, enjoying his final breakthrough for his country in the mentioned tournament from which they emerged victorious. He was, then, part of the runner-up campaign of West Germany at the 1982 FIFA World Cup and featured alike in the less successful Euro 1984, all under the coaching of Jupp Derwall. In the 1982 World Cup final, he was responsible for conceding a penalty early in the game by fouling Bruno Conti. Luckily, the penalty was missed but it did not save West Germany from losing the final. Derwall's successor Franz Beckenbauer kept him in his squads and, so, Briegel was able to take part in his second successive World Cup in Mexico in 1986. He was a regular, still, but finally the key to Argentina's winning goal in the final. Three minutes past Rudi Völler's equaliser and seven minutes short of the proposed extra-time, Briegel was, alongside his defending colleagues, hovering near the centre circle of the Estadio Azteca pitch on 29 June when Diego Maradona's pass was going to get on its way to striker Jorge Burruchaga. With his teammates aware, all moving forward quickly before that pass happened (to put the Argentinian striker offside), Briegel's hesitation worked as backfire for the West Germans, giving Burruchaga the chance to pounce decisively on them. Power-house Briegel tried to catch Burruchaga up in an attempt to dispossess him, indeed, but Burruchaga game-winning shot happened before Briegel's desperate tackle came to happen.