Cape Verde's World Cup adventure came to an end in the most painful fashion on Sunday night, but the debutants walked away from the tournament with something far greater than a place in the next round — the admiration of football fans across the world after pushing champions Argentina to the edge in a dramatic last-16 encounter.
A cruel extra-time own goal condemned the Blue Sharks to a 3-2 defeat in Miami, ending a campaign that transformed the tiny island nation from outsiders into one of the biggest stories of the competition.
Before the tournament began, attention was focused on global stars such as Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Erling Haaland and Harry Kane. Few expected Cape Verde, appearing at their first World Cup and ranked 67th in the world, to become one of the competition's most celebrated teams.
Yet match after match, they proved they belonged on football's biggest stage.
Their journey started with a remarkable goalless draw against European champions Spain, a result that delivered Cape Verde's first point at a World Cup. They then scored their first goals in the competition against Uruguay and continued to surprise opponents with fearless displays.
The ultimate test arrived against Argentina, the defending champions and one of the tournament favourites.
When Messi put Argentina ahead, many expected the match to follow a familiar script. Cape Verde had other ideas.
The Blue Sharks responded with determination and found a way back into the contest, levelling the score and forcing extra time. Argentina edged ahead once more, but Cape Verde again refused to surrender, drawing level through a stunning strike from Sidny Lopes Cabral.
For long periods, the possibility of one of the greatest World Cup upsets ever staged looked real.
However, with a penalty shootout within sight, disaster struck when Cristian Romero's header took a decisive deflection off Diney Borges and ended up in the net.
As Argentina celebrated qualification, Cape Verde players collapsed onto the pitch, devastated that their dream had come to an end.
Despite the disappointment, praise quickly poured in for a side that had exceeded all expectations.
"Cape Verde have lost, but they've won," said former Scotland international James McFadden on BBC Radio 5 Live.
"They have shown courage, togetherness, unity and unwavering belief in what they are and what they can do.
"The story of this tournament is Cape Verde. That is what you want to see in a football side."
The achievement was made even more remarkable by the fact that Cape Verde entered the tournament as one of its lowest-ranked participants.
Three draws during the group stage, including the memorable result against Spain, earned them a place in the knockout rounds and a meeting with Argentina that many believed would be one-sided.
Instead, Cape Verde delivered a performance that left pundits and supporters in awe.
Former England defender Gary Neville described it as "one of the greatest performances" he had ever seen from an underdog.
"They are crying because they are going home," he added. "They don't want to go home. They want to be here for the rest of their lives.
"They want to be here forever. This is a moment that's probably not going to come back for some of these players. It's magical but also upsetting."
Cape Verde coach Bubista said his team had every reason to be proud despite the defeat.
"We showed that we may be a small country but we can play against the best teams in the world," he said. "That's a reason for pride.
"We made history for our country. They can be proud for representing our country.
"To be able to play the way we did against the world champions, and to draw level twice, is something incredible."
Defender Roberto 'Pico' Lopes said the team's impact stretched beyond football results and had helped raise the country's profile around the world.
"One of the best things to come from this World Cup is nobody asks where Cape Verde is on the map any more - this is history in itself for us. We've put ourselves on the map.
"We're a small nation but with big hearts and we showed what is possible - and if you believe, you can achieve."
Cape Verde's success also strengthened arguments in favour of the expanded World Cup format, which had faced criticism before the competition started.
Neville admitted the tournament had changed his opinion completely.
The former England defender said he would "never be a sceptic again".
Ian Wright also pointed to Cape Verde's run as proof that smaller nations can thrive when given opportunities at the highest level.
"That's what you're ideally hoping will happen around the world and this is why Fifa have to do so much to make sure the funds they get do reach everybody," Wright said.
"What this does show people is that when you give people the opportunity they can get onto the biggest stage no matter how small they are and they can have it with the world champions, with one of the greatest players in the world.
"It was a Herculean effort from them, absolutely."
Among the standout figures of Cape Verde's campaign was veteran goalkeeper Vozinha, whose performances turned him into one of the unexpected stars of the tournament.
The 40-year-old produced a series of crucial saves throughout the competition and played a central role in helping his country compete against some of the world's strongest teams.
Images of the goalkeeper proudly holding the Cape Verde flag after the draw with Spain quickly spread across social media and helped make him a fan favourite.
His display against Argentina further enhanced his reputation as he made eight saves to keep his side in the contest.
Neville believes those performances will soon be rewarded.
"Vozinha is going to get a good club off the back of this.
"What a World Cup. Everything that he does is calm and composed. Where has he been? We should have met him before."
Wright added that Vozinha has "hero energy" after his performance for Cape Verde against Argentina.
The goalkeeper finished the tournament with 18 saves, the third-highest tally at this year's World Cup.
While Cape Verde's journey is over, their story will remain one of the defining memories of the tournament. They arrived as newcomers with little expectation, but leave having shown the football world that size and reputation do not always determine how far a dream can go.