Reuters reports that the Kremlin dubbed the Russian national team heroes. Proud Russian soccer fans saluted their team after the underdog host side lost on penalties to Croatia. This brought an end to its World Cup challenge at the quarter-finals.
Across Russia, hand-wringing fans had held their breath through extra time. They hoped the team could pull off another upset in a World Cup they entered as the lowest ranking side. It saw them reach the quarter finals against the odds.