Friday 10 / May / 2024
Fans became tearful after Russia's World Cup dream ended with a 4-3 shootout loss to Croatia.
The disappointment of defeat melted into applause as fans toasted a national side that had repeatedly defied expectations.
President Vladimir Putin did not attend the game, but watched remotely, saying the players were heroes despite the defeat and the country was proud of them.
The proud soccer followers saluted their underdog host team and called them heroes, too.
