Lionel Messi said he “could not remember such suffering before”, while for manager Jorge Sampaoli there was huge relief as Argentina beat Nigeria in dramatic fashion to avoid the ignominy of elimination in the World Cup group stage. The South Americans, two-time world champions, seemed destined for an early flight home until they found an unlikely hero in the guise of Manchester United defender Marcos Rojo.
His superb volley in the 86th minute earned Argentina a 2-1 win in St Petersburg and sent them through to a last-16 tie against France, ending a tumultuous group stage which saw fallouts, huge criticism, constant changes of formation and even questions over who was picking the team.
But what now for Argentina? Can they put their problems to one side and be a force for the rest of the tournament?