Iceland’s fairy-tale run at Euro 2016 finally got its ending, and it wasn’t really a happy one. Hosts France dealt the Nordic nation an emphatic 5-2 defeat in Sunday’s quarterfinal, stopping the team’s unexpected march through its first-ever international tournament.
But the gritty Icelanders have already been crowned the people’s champions, and the country’s football association signed off with a tweet expressing gratitude, and a promise.
Soon after, hundreds of tweets congratulating the team on its remarkable performance — including draws against far higher-ranked Portugal and Hungary and wins against Austria and a heavily favored England side — began to pour in, both from its own fans and from across the globe.
France now play Germany on Thursday, for a place in the final against the victor of the other match between Portugal and Wales.
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Write to Rishi Iyengar at rishi.iyengar@timeasia.com