They slumped to the turf when the final whistle blew in Miami, their fairytale run crushed by a cruel deflection. But Cape Verde's players left the field knowing they had won something more lasting than a place in the last 16: they had won the world's heart.
The Blue Sharks, ranked 67th in the world and the tournament's second-smallest nation, had pushed defending champions Argentina to the limit in a pulsating 3-2 extra-time defeat. Twice they fell behind, and twice they levelled, the second time through a stunning strike from Sidny Lopes Cabral that sent the crowd into disbelief. But Cristian Romero's header took a wicked deflection off Diney Borges to decide the tie and send Argentina through to face Egypt.
“Cape Verde exit World Cup after epic 3-2 extra-time defeat to Argentina, winning global admiration.”
Lionel Messi, who scored his seventh goal of the competition, admitted afterwards how tough the test had been. "They hadn't lost to Spain or Uruguay," he said. "We did the most difficult thing, which was to score the first goal. We thought that we would be able to play our game and be calm, but it was the opposite. They hit us with their weapons."
After the match, Cape Verde players gatecrashed Messi's media interviews to grab selfies with the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner. Messi jokingly told reporters: "They asked for my jersey, everything... On the field, they kick the c**p out of me." He then posed for pictures as the delighted minnows snapped their treasured mementoes.
Cape Verde's journey had begun with a heroic goalless draw against European champions Spain, followed by further draws against Uruguay and then Argentina – three group-stage stalemates that set up the last-32 showdown. Their goalkeeper Vozinha became a cult hero, and the team scored their first ever World Cup goals along the way.
Former England right-back Gary Neville called it "one of the greatest performances" he had ever seen from an underdog. "They are crying because they are going home," he told ITV. "They don't want to go home. They want to be here for the rest of their lives."
Cape Verde manager Bubista was bursting with pride 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. "We made history for our country."
Former Scotland international James McFadden summed up the feeling on BBC Radio 5 Live: "Cape Verde have lost, but they've won. They have shown courage, togetherness, unity and unwavering belief. The story of this tournament is Cape Verde."
As the players left the pitch in tears, they carried with them the memory of a World Cup they almost made their own – and a queue of them chasing one last photo with Messi proved that even the smallest nations can leave the biggest mark.