Even before a ball was booted in anger, football fans had a gut feeling this was going to be a good one.
Two international powerhouses battling it out for survival at Lusail Stadium, already buzzing with the knowledge that World Cup favourites Brazil had fallen to Croatia via that cruellest of tiebreaker decisions, the dreaded penalty shootout.
Argentina, the runners-up in 2014, desperately lunging towards their first World Cup victory since the infamous 1986 campaign, a victory claimed over West Germany but most remembered for Diego Maradona's 'Hand of God' two games earlier.
And the Netherlands, never having tasted ultimate victory after climbing the mountain in 1974, 1978 and 2010, only to slip at the very last moment, twice losing after extra time.
The Doha stage was set for a World Cup classic — and the two teams did not disappoint. These are the 12 photos that told the story of the match.
1. Clambering to glimpse their heroes
When Argentina played Australia in the round of 16, the sea of light blue and white overwhelmed the green and gold in a tsunami of passion and dance and singing.
While large pockets of Dutch orange sprung like flowers from the thicket of Argentinian and neutral fans alike decked out in that iconic jersey, this was very much a crowd that favoured the South Americans and their storied hero, Lionel Messi.
The woman above pushed her way through the mess of legs and flags to get a glimpse of the pitch before the first whistle had even been blown.
In another photo, the snapper managed to pick out the calves of one fan, tattoos adorning his left and right legs of the two most adored religious figures in Buenos Aires — no, not God and Jesus — but Messi on the left, and Maradona on the right.
The stadium was pumping and would only grow more intense as the game went on.
2. First blood goes to Argentina
As Cristiano Ronaldo sulks from the bench during Portugal's run to the final, the other football superstar running around in Doha has won over supporters from all nations for the magic he continues to weave on the pitch.
This is Messi's final chance at World Cup glory, and nothing looks like stopping him from snatching it.
Against Australia, it was Messi's mesmerising footwork that ultimately sunk the Socceroos, dribbling, passing, claiming the ball back, and shooting the ball past Mat Ryan in a moment you could only applaud and marvel at.
This time, the score wasn't from that supernatural boot, but it was Messi who did the hard yards.
Claiming the ball in midfield at the 35th minute, the little legend set off on one of those runs where his legs look like they're going a million miles an hour, dancing a tango that his Dutch partners could not possibly keep up with.
Moving ever closer to the box — and always a threat to shoot — he tapped through the ball with his left foot surgically to Nahuel Molina, who duly converted.
“It’s the runs off Messi that weave the magic,” commentator Martin Tyler said.
“And this one was absolutely perfect. And that’s the way to open up a defence of this calibre.
“Molina just had the pace to get there before van Dijk … a tight half has been busted open here and Messi is the architect.”
3. By any means necessary
While it's not uncommon to see footballers lying behind the wall as their opposition prepares for a free kick, this photo was just too good to not include.
Teun Koopmeiners does his best door snake impression to keep that pesky low ball draft from entering the Netherlands' net.
While the shot doesn't hit him, it also doesn't go into the net, and the score remains 1-0.
We'll mark that down as a win for the Dutch defence.
4. Magical Messi strikes again
This time, it was Messi's turn to claim the glory of somebody else's hard work.
It's the 70th minute, and Marcos Acuna is causing all sorts of trouble for the Dutch defence as he looks to put himself in position for a cross.
In a moment of panic, Netherlands defender Denzel Dumfries throws his left leg out to stop Acuna having a clear path to pass through the box — it's a slightly messy challenge, and tickles Acuna on the way past but, crucially, does not claim any of the ball.
Acuna goes down writhing in dramatic, simulated pain.
The referee blows for the penalty, and up steps the Argentinian skipper to stab a dagger through Dutch hearts.
As cooly as you'll ever see from the penalty spot, Messi slots it to the right of Andries Noppert, who barely has time to move.
Messi is the gladiator, and he turns to the Colosseum for the adulation he so richly deserves.
It's 2-0, and the masses are very much entertained.
5. Vitaly the goose strikes again
You have to be brave or stupid to invade the pitch of a World Cup match that holds the emotions of millions people within its hands.
With old mate Vitaly, it feels a lot like it's the latter rather than the former.
Wearing nothing but shorts, socks and shoes, and painted with 'Vitaly the GOAT' across his admittedly impressive physique, Russian YouTuber Vitaly Zdorovetskiy runs out onto the ground and is chased by a horde of Qatari security guards dressed bizarrely similar to your stock standard eshay.
With five men hanging off him — and another trying to bounce back to his feet after slipping over — Zdorovetskiy is carried off the field with Argentina up 2-0.
It is not the first time he's done something a bit silly to promote his brand, having also run onto the pitch in the 2014 World Cup final with 'natural born prankster' painted on his body, while his girlfriend Kinsey Wolanski shot to fame in 2019 for wearing very little in her pitch invasion of the Champions League final.
The invasion stops play, and it gives the Dutch a chance to catch their breath and consider their next move.
6. Wout Wout, that's the sound of the police
Already ordained with a yellow card in the 47th minute, even though he was yet to enter the game, Wout Weghorst was clearly eager from the start to make his mark on the match.
Substituted on in the 78th minute for Memphis Depay, the impact was almost immediate.
After just five minutes on the field, the 197cm striker — who plays for Besiktas J.K in the Turkish league — rose like the Burj Khalifa on the Arabian peninsula to put the ball into the back of the net.
The orange wave in the crowd, dejected and sullen until that point, rises as one.
Hope is restored and something special is in the offing.
7. Tensions flare as the clock ticks down
With the 88th minute about to tick over, Argentina is holding on for dear life as the Dutch rise from the dead.
Looking to forge on with another attack, the Netherlands carefully pass the ball back and forth — and Leandro Paredes grows tired of it.
The Argentinian slides in fast and takes a piece of the ball and his opponent on his first tackle, gets up, powers towards the sidelines, and slides in again to take out his next Dutch player, who writhes on the ground in pain.
Paredes then does the unthinkable and absolutely thwacks the ball at the Dutch players on the sidelines, striking it with power and precision.
The Dutch bench clears as Virgil van Dijk puts Paredes on the turf, who earns a yellow for his antics.
It sparks a fire in the Dutch players.
8. A last gasp free kick saves the day
It has been no secret that this World Cup has seen a hell of a lot of added time, and it was no different this time as the sideline ref held up the sign to indicate 11 minutes would be added to the game.
With a back-and-forth tussle ensuing for the first 10 minutes as Argentina just looked to hold on to its lead, the Netherlands is awarded a free kick just outside the box as the seconds tick down to the final whistle.
As the Dutch had done earlier, Argentina sets up the excluder along the ground to stop the low ball, even though they expect it to go high.
Koopmeiner, this time on his feet, takes the kick and unexpectedly takes it low, going around the Argentinian on the ground and finding the feet of Weghorst, who duly converts.
The crowd goes wild. The players go wild. The Argentinians look dejected. The game is well and truly on.
9. Let's take this to penalties
With extra time providing no clear answer on a winner, the game goes to the dreaded penalties, where nerves are frayed on and off the pitch.
Emiliano Martinez, the man who got half an arm to Garang Kuol's last-ditch shot for the Socceroos to save that game from going to extra time, is the man who stands between the Netherlands and the World Cup semifinals.
And he looms large from the very the first kick.
First, he keeps Virgil van Dijk from getting the Dutch off to the perfect start, diving full length to his right to keep the ball out. On the second kick, he denies Steven Berghuis the opportunity of returning Argentinian serve.
While the game is not won, editors across the world prepare to push publish on their copy that says Argentina's hopes and dreams are still alive.
10. Confidence personified in stressful moments
Needing just the one goal to claim a famous victory for Argentina, Lautaro Martinez steps up to the spot with the confidence of a man who could do this in his sleep.
Noppert stands before him, doing everything he can to play some mind games, instil some doubt, give the Dutch some hope that this is not the end of their campaign.
It does not work.
Martinez holds the ball up in front of Noppert's nose, places it down, takes a few steps back, and comfortably converts the penalty.
The sea of light blue and white erupts in the stands. One of the most tense games of this World Cup is over, and the result has swung in their favour.
11. Rubbing it in their faces
As Martinez's kick bulges the net, the Argentinian players burst from the centre line in celebration.
But not before they let their Dutch opponents know about it.
They scream in their faces as the men in orange slump to the ground, and rub their eyes in mock crying.
In a game that saw a record 19 yellow cards, a bench clearing brawl, and plenty of nasty words shared between players of both teams, it's a moment that shows just how much this meant to everyone on then field.
12. The GOAT gives love to his keeper
While the rest of the Argentinian team sprints after the goal-kicking Martinez to celebrate with the man who slotted the penalty, the Argentinian skipper notices the goalkeeping Martinez splayed on the ground.
He rushes over to the man of the moment and embraces him, knowing that this is the guy who has kept his World Cup dream alive.
Emotions are still high.
In a post-match interview, Messi seems distracted by something off the camera — it turns out it's Weghorst, staring at him for some reason.
"What are you looking at, fool," Messi says.
The outburst leads the interviewer to suggest that Messi calms down.
It's one moment of passion in a game packed full of them — a game that few football fans who witnessed it will forget any time soon.
