Argentina suffered a shocking 3-0 defeat against Croatia on Thursday night, leaving Jorge Sampaoli's side perilously close to elimination from the World Cup.
Expectations are always high for Argentina given their pedigree and extensive history of success but they were second-best all over the park on Thursday, their flaws viciously exposed by a clinical Croatia side.
Here are some of the key things we learned from tonight's match...
1. One Superstar Does Not a Good Team Make
Argentina have always been able to boast a good number of excellent players, particularly in attack, but recently La Albiceleste have looked increasingly reliant on Lionel Messi to make things happen for them.
This humiliation showed once and for all that even a player as brilliant as Messi cannot do everything by himself. Without the quality teammates and strong tactical philosophy he is used to at Barcelona, the legendary forward looked isolated and subdued.
Messi was let down by his teammates against Croatia and was unable to be his usual brilliant self. Unless Argentina figure out how to utilise their squad, the international career of the country's greatest sporting export could soon end with a whimper.
2. Luka Modric Might Be the Best Midfielder of His Generation
Luka Modric was clearly an exceptionally gifted player during his time at Spurs but the Croatian midfielder has taken his game to another level in recent years and now fully deserves to be viewed in the same bracket as the likes of Xavi, Iniesta and Pirlo.
The 32-year-old runs every match like a game of three-dimensional chess and the clash with Argentina was no exception, topping off a wonderful performance with an equally spectacular goal.
While other players may tend to grab the headlines more frequently, this game was all about Modric and it was a pleasure to see him at his magnificent best.
3. Who You're Playing With Makes All the Difference
Sometimes in football, the difference between a good player and a bad player can simply come down to the teammates said player has to work with, as well as the tactical system in which they are operating. This fact was exhibited in the defences of both sides tonight.
For Croatia, Dejan Lovren gave a performance of the highest quality and hardly gave Argentina a sniff for the whole 90 minutes. When you consider the ridicule the defender has received at times during his Liverpool career, it just goes to show how much circumstance can affect a player. With Domagoj Vida in fine form alongside him, Lovren looked a different player against Argentina - much like the way his Liverpool performances have improved since the club signed Virgil van Dijk.
At the other end of the pitch, the same effect occurred in reverse for Argentina. Nicolas Otamendi, unbeatable in defence during Manchester City's title win last season, gave a calamitous performance for his country which showed just how much the tactics of Pep Guardiola have helped the centre back raise his game. Placed in a much less defined system for Argentina, Otamendi looked vulnerable and was punished as a result.
4. Argentina Need a New Era
Watching Argentina against Croatia or Iceland, you would never believe that they reached the final of the last World Cup. Jorge Sampaoli's side have lacked energy, creativity, discipline and organisation at this tournament, letting themselves down terribly in every part of the pitch.
It's been the kind of shambolic performance that suggests more is needed than a change in tactics; this team needs a dramatic overhaul, and fast.
A new manager with some fresh ideas and some less jaded faces in the squad would do Argentina a whole lot of good as they look to put this sorry episode behind them. Just look at what it's done for England already.