Club soccer may have surpassed international soccer in the hearts and minds of many fans, but no result in a domestic game can match the effect that a national team result can have on millions of people.

From the depths of despair to the heights of happiness, here now is the reaction to Friday’s dramatic matches between Brazil and Croatia and Argentina and The Netherlands.

Brazilian heartache

Rio’s Extra leads with the somewhat optimistic “Time to Pick up the Pieces”:

O Dia captures the mood of a nation with “The Dance is Over”:

Neymar’s anguished face featured heavily in Brazilian coverage:

O Estado de Sao Paolo with a poetic headline, “All that’s left is Brazilian tears”:

Estado de Minas cleverly offers a headline in Croatian that reads “Goodbye Sixth Title”:

Croatian ecstasy

The Večernji List leads with the words of Croatia’s manager, and how many fans must feel about yet another incredible Croatian World Cup run “My Players are Not Normal”:

Sportske Novosti leads with “Croatia is a world wonder. We are in the semi-finals again”:

Jutarnji List channels Montell Jordan with “That’s How We Do It”:

Joy in Argentina

Clarín goes with a subtle dig at the Dutch as they say “With a Pure Heart and Dreams”:

Diario Popular asks their own fans, and likely the Dutch for a different response, as it proclaims “Tell Me How it Feels!”:

La Gaceta has a less confrontational headline of “An Endless Joy”:

El Liberal has the perfect summary of the experience for Argentina’s fans over the course of the rollercoaster match, “Suffer to Enjoy”:

The best cover photo of the day goes to Río Negro:

Dutch anguish

It sounds more dramatic in Dutch, but Algemeen Dagblad says “So Close”:

de Volkskrant offers polite props to Argentina fans with “Football and passion never go together as beautifully as in Argentina”:

Guide to World Cup 2022

Here are some resources to help you get the most out of the biggest event in soccer!
TV Schedule: All the info on where and when to watch every game
The Groups: We breakdown each group and all the teams
The Kits: Check out what every team will be wearing on the field this fall
Predictor: Play out every scenario with our World Cup Predictor
World Cup Bracket: Map out the entire tournament, from the groups to the final