The stuff of dreams turned into something of a nightmare for Wales.
A first World Cup qualification in 64 years represented a monumental achievement for the Red Dragons, although their Qatar journey ended in the blink of an eye as Rob Page's men finished rock bottom of Group B having failed to win a single match at the global showpiece.
It was a tough pill for the Red Wall to swallow, and those who proudly wore the red jersey on the grandest stage of them all felt the pain more than anyone.
Just ask Aaron Ramsey, one of his country's finest ever talents and a man who has been so pivotal to what has been a golden generation for the nation.
The 32-year-old requested additional time off with club side Nice after Wales' premature exit from the tournament in an attempt to come to terms with the devastation of it all, and the thought of retirement suddenly became a genuine prospect as stars Gareth Bale, Joe Allen, Jonny Williams and Chris Gunter all hung up their boots from international duty.
"It was a very difficult time after the World Cup. We did so well to finally get to the finals and to experience that, but it was a very strange World Cup," explained Ramsey.
"I think a lot of things naturally went through your mind afterwards, but after a bit of time to digest it all, you're ready to go again.
"I've come back at club level, we've been doing really well, I've been enjoying my football and I'm playing well. There's a lot to look forward to. The players, Gareth, Joe, Jonny, Gunts, they've been instrumental for us over the years and will forever be a part of Welsh history.
"Football is forever changing. There'll be opportunities now for these younger players to step up and show what they're capable of and to create a bit of history of their own. We're excited but we'll miss all of those players around the place."
Now in fine fettle with Nice, Ramsey is bidding to lead the next generation of Welsh talent to Euro 2024 qualification having regained the captaincy following Bale's retirement.
The playmaker held the armband under Gary Speed and then Chris Coleman during the fledgling years of his playing career, although, following the now infamous 6-1 hammering against Serbia in Novi Sad, Coleman stripped Ramsey of the captaincy and subsequently gave Ashley Williams the armband.
But more than a decade on and with three major tournaments under his belt, Ramsey admits he's now in a far better place to lead his country again.
"It's been a long time since I last had it, a lot has changed in that period of time," he said. "I feel like I'm ready for it now, I've learnt a lot over the years.
"I was 20 years old when I last had it. It was a very unusual experience at the time, one that I'll be forever grateful for from Gary but now I feel like I'm ready for this.
"At the time Gary believed in me and thought it was the right thing for me to do, to grow into that role and learn as I went along. I'll be forever grateful for that. But now so much has changed in my personal life, in my career, I've experienced so many different things.
"Of course that's going to help me. I've played under some great captains as well, including Ashley Williams and Gareth Bale.
"There are bits that you take from a lot of these captains over the years and try to add them to your captaincy now.
"It's a really proud moment for me and my family and hopefully it can be a very successful time for us. After the World Cup I spent a lot of time with them, it was important to switch off from football and be a dad and a husband again for that little period of time.
"Now I get to tell my boys I’m going to be captain of Wales, they were very proud, my eldest especially was very excited and happy for me. For them to be able to see that and experience that with me will be very special."
Indeed, such has been the importance of family in Ramsey's life, more so after the World Cup than ever, it was fitting that the 78-cap international was with his wife Colleen when he took the call from boss Page to discover that he was to be the new captain of his country.
"I was just about to go out with some food with my wife at the time. I said 'sorry love, I'm going to have to take this'," explained Ramsey.
"He (Page) said that he wanted me to be captain and that meal tasted a little better. It was a very proud moment and I'm just grateful to have that opportunity again.
"We have a lot of players who are natural leaders and we want them to bring their leadership qualities as well. But it's a dream come true for me."
Now, the full focus lies on a pivotal week that sees Wales kick-start their qualifying campaign against 2022 World Cup semi-finalists Croatia in Split before Latvia make the trip to Cardiff City Stadium three days later.
The goal is ultimately to finish in the top two of Group D to reach next year's summer tournament in Germany and qualify for a third successive European Championship in the process.
And Ramsey is under no illusions that, despite the significant changing of the guard since what was only Wales' second ever appearance at a World Cup, the squad remains well placed to challenge for Euro qualification.
"This squad has a lot of quality, a lot of young players who have experienced tournament football and big big games in play-offs," he concluded.
"This squad is definitely ready, really exciting players who are playing at the top level and doing really well.
"For us it's about getting to work this week and making sure preparations are right for that first game as we know how difficult it will be. But we all know how important it is to get off for a good start."
Ben Davies has withdrawn from the Wales squad due to injury, with Stoke City's Morgan Fox being called up in his place. Goalkeeper Tom King has also been added to the squad.
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