Lusail Stadium holds nearly 90,000 spectators and, at the highest point of its steep, undulating stands, fans have a birds-eye view of the match unfolding below.
From the top row of the press seats, some six floors and a staircase above ground level, the numbers on the back of the player’s shirts are barely visible but there are still around 30 more rows to the summit.
There was no-one in the stands, no matter their vantage point, who saw coming the passes from Lionel Messi and Teun Koopmeiners, which illuminated an exhausting, exhilarating World Cup classic between Argentina and the Netherlands.
Argentina won this quarter-final on penalties, Emiliano Martinez saving from Virgil Van Dijk and Steven Berghuis, following a pulsating 2-2 draw which often felt scarcely believable.
Messi’s majestic first-half assist for Nahuel Molina and 10th World Cup goal from the penalty spot put Argentina in full command but they were pegged back by a double from substitute Wout Weghorst, the equaliser in the 11th minute of stoppage time from Koopmeiners’ free-kick.
Standing over the dead ball some 25 yards from goal in what was surely the Netherlands’ last roll of the dice, Koopmeiners looked for all the world set to shoot. Instead, the substitute feinted and rolled a cute pass into a packed penalty box, which included every Argentine player, where it fell to the feet of big man Weghorst. The former Burnley striker held off Lautaro Martinez to score his second of the night, stunning the Lusail, and setting up extra-time.
The ingenuity and audacity to try such a high-risk routine in such a high-stakes scenario made it a World Cup moment for the ages.
Until that point, this match had looked set to be decided by another pass of utter brilliance, as Messi opened up a cagey game in the 35th minute with a ball for Molina.
There is even doubt over whether Messi himself saw it. Slow-motion replays suggested he never looked up as he jinxed infield, feinted to throw off Nathan Ake and surgically dissected the Netherlands defence with a ball that was never on. Perhaps it was intuition alone.
Molina felt secondary but the full-back deserved credit for taking an excellent touch on the run, before escaping the clutches of Van Dijk and poking home.
Messi added a second goal after Denzel Dumfries caught Marcos Acuña in the 73rd minute, and looked poised to continue dragging an unconvincing Argentina through this World Cup, until Weghorst struck twice.
The introduction of the former Burnley striker and the Netherlands’ switch from Louis Van Gaal’s patient passing game to an agricultural route-one approach changed the game, unsettling the Argentines, who were unable to deal with a physical approach in another knockout game.
Lionel Scaloni’s side lost their heads and, from a position of strength, lost control of the match, only to show their resolve by roaring back.
They were deserved winners in the end after Enzo Fernandez twice went close to an extra-time winner, including with a shot which stuck the base of the post, but the way they were rattled will offer a blueprint and encouragement to Croatia, who await back here in Tuesday’s semi-final.
Argentina’s jitters at 2-1 were exemplified when Leandro Parades clattered Nathan Ake and booted the ball into the Netherlands dugout. It was the only time Van Gaal emerged from his seat all night.
Scaloni, by contrast, spent the evening prowling the edge of his technical area, gesturing and barking instructions at his players.
The Argentina boss was almost coaching his side through the game but emits a nervous, emotional energy, which might explain why his side have a tendency to collapse. The way they squandered the lead was not dissimilar to their capitulation in the shock defeat to Saudi Arabia in the opening game or the way they made hard work of being 2-0 up against Australia in the last-16.
Just as in that match, they endured an uncomfortable finale, Weghorst halving the deficit on 83 minutes with an excellent header from fellow substitute Berghuis’ in-swinging cross before the pressure of the Dutch long balls finally told with the equaliser.
Even the shootout was nervier than it might have been after Fernandez missed a chance to win the game before it was eventually wrapped up 4-3, by Lautaro Martinez.
Unconvincing they may be but given the way Messi is playing, Scaloni’s side have every chance of being back here again on December 18 for the final.
Argentina’s talisman came alive in the last-16 to score the goal against Australia and it was a similar story here, providing the only real moments of quality in an otherwise cagey first time that needed a moment of brilliance.
Judging by Croatia’s performances, the semi-final could be similar.
The result is that one of the great stories of this World Cup, Van Gaal, is out but another Messi carries on, dragging an unconvincing team with him but appearing possessed by a sense of purpose at what he has said will be his last finals.
For all their frailties, Argentina have won four on the bounce and they are easily the best supported side in Qatar now their great rivals Brazil are out, beaten by Croatia on penalties earlier in the day.
There were an estimated 50,000 Argentines in the ground, versus 1,400 Dutch fans, making this another raucous home game for Scaloni’s side.
Argentina do not yet have a standout performance at the World Cup but they have the standout player in Messi, as well as momentum and the masses behind them.
