As if they were beaten by their greatest rivals, were not painful enough, Brazil had to stand and watch while the biggest exciting merchant of world football rubbed in the wound.
With Argentina 4-1 ahead and little time left in the match, Aston Villa goalkeeper Emi Martinez decided to juggle the ball in his own box. It set the tin lid on a night of extreme humiliation for the five times world champions.
'A Fiasco for Eternity' cried the website of television broadcaster Globo before adding: “Argentina's goal-fest shows the abyss between the teams.” Brazilian coach Dorival Junior was under pressure before this collision and it would be no surprise if he was fired for the next round of internationals in June.
There is no rivalry in world football like this. While the losers are mourning, the victors talk waste as a provocative heavyweight boxer. Brazil Raphinha made the mistake of doing this before the game and Argentina did not let him forget, with players who sang about the 'death' of Brazil.
First, the good news: apart from something remarkable, Brazil is eligible for the World Cup 2026. There will be an unprecedented 48 teams in the final, which means that six South American countries will automatically qualify. Brazil in fourth place are six points free from Venezuela in the seventh, with four more rounds.
Yet that cannot mask the fundamental issues that see Brazil seeing a tournament that they have not won since 2002. Apart from the 'Mineiros' 7-1 that was beaten by Germany by Germany by the 2014 World Cup in the home floor, Brazil is not even beyond the quarterfinals since they have lifted the trophy.
They were unlucky in losing the last -like ties against Belgium and Croatia in 2018 and 2022 respectively, but the great Brazilian parties from the past would have swept those opponents aside.
When Brazil has been at their best, their superstar has delivered. There was Pele in 1958 and 1970, Garrincha in 1962, Romario in 1994 and Ronaldo, Rivaldo and Ronaldinho in 2002. Now Neymar is at the Wane, that man was supposed to be Vinicius Junior, but the Real Madrid striker did not deliver for his country for his club. In 39 internationals he has six goals and six assists.
Despite his accident for the Argentina, Raphinha is a little better, with 11 goals and seven assists in 33 competitions, although Neymar's 79 goals and 59 assists in 128 caps is a level that has neither come close.
The slump of Brazil cannot only be accused of their attackers. There is a reason why the Brazilian FA would like to hire the Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti, although the Italian, who never worked in international football, would be their first non-Brazilian coach.
View the recent final of Copa Libertadores, the answer of South America on the Champions League, to understand the difference between football on the two continents. Sometimes the latter feels like a different sport.
Football in Europe determines the standard for the rest of the world and Dorival has never worked there as a player or coach. You have to go all the way back to Luiz Felipe Scolari to find a Brazilian coach who operated in Europe and although he had some good results with Portugal, he only lasted seven months in Chelsea. While Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni has never held a senior post in Europe, he was with Sevilla's staff and he had also played in Europe.
Ancelotti not only brings the best of Vinicius, he is a master in insuring top players who fulfill their potential, and making exactly the right number of tweaks to keep strong teams successful and hungry. However, the coach can only do so much.
Brazil miss excellent midfielders with extensive Champions League experience. Wolves and Newcastle gave their midfield duo against Argentina, with Andre one of the three Wolves players in the team together with Matheus Cunha. It is no surprise that Alexis Mac Allister, from Liverpool, and Atletico Madrid's Rodrigo de Paul checked the middle.
It seems ridiculous to suggest that Brazil has a shortage of options, but it is worth looking closer. In 2002 there were only 11 non-Brazilian players in the top flight of the country. This season, according to the website transfer market, 139 – more than 20 percent of the competition are.
Then there is the young talent. Brazil Prosper at age group level and won the last two editions of the South American under 20 championship, so why not at senior level?
Too often the best Brazilians move to Europe when they are very young, seduced by Champions League football and the wealth that goes with it. Many bounce between less than 21 sides and loans, their career drives off.
However, this is still Brazil, and they should be encouraged from 2002. After struggling through the qualification, and with a similar pressure on Scolari, they were the class of the field in Japan and South Korea and rightly won the trophy.
It would be a fool that she had written off, especially now they have revenge on their mind. Even better if they can place a decent coach.
How Brazil would like to run the tables on Martinez and his friends.
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