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Football can provide ecstasy and heartbreak in equal measure. While one team rejoices, the other is often left to wonder what might have been, especially in the later rounds of tournaments when titles are on the line.
Be it a tactical mistake, a stroke of individual brilliance or plain good luck at times, the 21st century has had many such moments where one team rejoiced at the expense of the other.
On that note, let's have a look at ten heartbreaking footballing moments - in no particular order - since the turn of the century.
#1 Schalke's joy turns to despair on eventful Bundesliga final day (2001)
Going into the final day of the 2000-01 Bundesliga season, Schalke trailed Bayern Munich by three points.
They needed to beat Unterhaching and Bayern to lose at Hamburg to win their first Bundesliga title of the century.
Schalke recovered from 0-2 down to lead 3-2. One minute from time, Ebbe Sand scored his second of the night to seemingly make the game safe. Around the same time, Hamburg opened the scoring against Bayern, a sequence of results that would have crowned Schalke as champions.
However, just as Schalke fans broke out into delirium, Hamburg goalkeeper Mathias Schober picked up a back pass deep in injury time. Off the ensuing indirect free-kick, Patrik Andersson scored the only Bayern goal of his career to break Schalke hearts.
From seconds away from celebrating the Bundesliga title, Schalke fans descended into stunned silence in Gelsenkirchen as the Bayern Munich bench celebrated wildly.
#2 South Korea stun Spain in controversial World Cup quarter-final (2002)
Spain were robbed of two legitimate goals in their 2002 FIFA World Cup quarter-final against South Korea.
First, they had a goal disallowed for a foul that never happened. The other was incorrectly ruled out, as the linesman thought Joaquin had crossed the ball after it crossed the line, contrary to television replays.
With both sides canceling each other out, the game went to a penalty shootout, in which South Korea won 5-3.
An incensed Spain vented their frustration at the referee, as they felt they were robbed in broad daylight a few days after another European powerhouse - Italy - suffered a controversial exit against South Korea.
As luck would have it, South Korea's fairytale run came to an end against Germany, and Spain would go all the way at the tournament eight years later.
#3 Unheralded Greece shock hosts Portugal in European Championship final (2004)
It was the stuff dreams are made of. Greece were simply not supposed to be standing against Portugal in the Euro 2004 final in Lisbon. Yet they were there after flooring two giants - Denmark and Czech Republic - in the previous two rounds.
Facing a star-studded offense of Luis Figo, Deco and a teenager by the name Cristiano Ronaldo, Greece defended as if their lives depended on it as wave after wave of Portuguese attack was repelled.
Surely lightning wouldn't strike thrice? Incredibly, it would, as the law of averages spared Greece on the night.
In the 57th minute, Angelos Charisteas broke Portuguese hearts by scoring the only goal of the game. Felipe Scolari's Portugal threw the kitchen sink at Greece but failed to breach the Greek citadel as the Hellenic nation celebrated the most unexpected of triumphs.
From 80-1 outsiders, Greece had gone from never winning a game at a major tournament to becoming European champions as a star-studded Portugal wondered what might have been.
#4 Fabio Grosso breaks Germany hearts (2006)
Fabio Grosso etched his name into Italian folklore when he scored a stunner deep into extra time against Germany in the 2006 World Cup semi-final in Dortmund.
Two evenly-matched teams had canceled each other out for 118 minutes. But just as a penalty shootout was looming, the left-back hit a sumptuous first-time volley past a despairing dive from Jens Lehmann.
Grosso embarked on a mad run across the Dortmund turf, crying "non ci credo" (I can't believe it) as his jubilant teammates engulfed him.
With Germany pouring forward in numbers, Italy struck again to end the hosts' hopes of winning the World Cup for the first time in 16 years.
In the final against France, Grosso scored the winning penalty to seal the Azzurri's first triumph in the competition in 24 years. Meanwhile, Germany will lay their hands on the trophy eight years later in Brazil.
#5 Turkey eliminate Croatia from the European Championships (2008)
Turkey had a memorable run at the 2008 European Championships. Even though they didn't go all the way, they had quite a roller coaster ride.
The comeback kings progressed from the group stage with an 89th-minute winner against Czech Republic to book a date with Croatia.
With extra-time looming, Ivan Klasnic put Croatia ahead in the 120th minute. Instead of patiently seeing out the game, Croatia threw common sense out the window. They sought to score a second on the break, a mistake that turned out to be fatal.
Semih Senturk scored Turkey's equalizer in the 123rd minute to force a penalty shootout, which his team won 3-1 to reach the semis.
Turkey's run came to an end against Germany as the underdogs succumbed to a late Phillip Lahm strike.
#6 Andres Iniesta's late strike knocks out Chelsea (2009)
Barcelona's 2009 continental treble almost never happened.
After being held to a goalless draw by Chelsea in the semi-final first leg at Camp Nou, the English club struck first in the return, courtesy of Michael Essien.
However, dodgy refereeing meant the Blues were denied what looked like two good penalties as Barcelona managed to hang on. Nevertheless, Chelsea were seconds away from a repeat of their 2008 Champions League final against Manchester United when disaster struck.
Barcelona, who had failed to register a shot on target all match, scored the all-important away goal in the 93rd minute to break Chelsea hearts.
The Blaugrana would go on to win their first continental treble, and the rest, as they say, is history.
#7 Thierry Henry's 'handball' robs Ireland a place in the World Cup (2009)
Thierry Henry scored a controversial 'handball' goal that helped France beat the Republic of Ireland in the playoffs and reach the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Henry had controlled the ball with his hand - something that was missed by the referee and his assistants - before teeing up William Gallas for the winner. Ireland's protests fell on deaf ears as the goal stood.
An aggrieved Ireland then asked FIFA to allow them to be the 33rd team at the World Cup, which obviously didn't happen.
Earlier in the game, Robbie Keane scored in Paris to cancel out France's 1-0 advantage from the first leg.
Keane would later say about Henry's illegal intervention:
"When you do something like that as a big player, you're going to get the consequences and I'm sure he (Henry) hasn't lived it down since. I'm sure it gets mentioned all the time to him."
#8 Bayern Munich lose Champions League final at home (2012)
Bayern Munich were the team to beat as they played host to Chelsea - who had eliminated Barcelona in the semi-finals - in the 2012 Champions League final in Munich.
The trophy looked to be staying in Munich when Thomas Muller put Bayern ahead seven minutes from time. Chelsea captain Frank Lampard thought at the time: "This was it." But that was not it.
Didier Drogba scored with arguably Chelsea's first attempt of the night to force extra-time. However, Drogba almost turned from hero to villain, as he felled Franck Ribery in the box, and Arjen Robben stepped up to take the penalty.
Incredibly, Petr Cech saved the effort as the game went to penalties. Bayern had a third bite of the cherry when they led 3-2 after three penalties apiece.
But Ivica Olic fluffed his effort; Ashley Cole scored; Bastian Schweinsteiger hit the woodwork; Drogba stepped up to send Chelsea into delirium as they became the newest Champions League winners.
Bayern CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge would later use a tennis parlance to describe the match:
"We had three match points. First, when we were leading in the 83rd minute. Then, when we had a penalty in extra-time. And then again, when we were ahead after three penalties. Yet we didn't make it."
#9 Sergio Aguero nets dramatic winner to clinch the Premier League for Manchester City (2012)
Sergio Aguero is a bonafide Premier League legend. But he etched his name into Manchester City folklore long back - 2012, to be exact.
In the dying moments on the final day of the 2011-12 Premier League season, Manchester United needed to better City's result. With United beating Sunderland and City trailing QPR, a sequence of results played into Manchester United's hands.
Even after Edin Dzeko made it 2-2 for Manchester City in injury time, City needed another goal. Enter Sergio Aguero. After a one-two with Mario Balotelli, Aguero scored at the near post to seal City's first league win in 44 years, even as Manchester United could barely believe the unlikely turn of events.
#10 France lose the European Championship final at home (2016)
France were the favorites against Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal in the Euro 2016 final in Paris.
The night turned from bad to worse for the 'visitors', as Cristiano Ronaldo hobbled off the pitch with an injury. The title was there to be won by France on home soil.
Yet profligate Les Bleus failed to score as the game went into extra-time. Enter super-sub Eder. The former Swansea City striker scored the most important goal of his life as Cristiano Ronaldo-less Portugal hung on to win their maiden European Championship.
Twelve years after he shed tears of disappointment after failing to win the European final at home, Cristiano Ronaldo let out tears of joy as he held aloft the Euro 2016 trophy for first-time winners Portugal.
