It was a defeat that left a nation so used to football success in a state of grief and disbelief.
In front of an expectant Rio De Janeiro crowd, Brazil slumped to an extraordinary seven-one defeat in the 2014 World Cup semi-final to eventual winners Germany.
SBS football analyst Lucy Zelic recalls the German thrashing of the hosts well.
"I remember because I was hosting that game and we were all just standing there with our mouths agape. We just could not believe it and I don't think I have ever heard our television studios so quiet because even the non-Brazilians understood how catastrophic this was."
Fast-forward four years and Brazil has come a long way from that embarrassment.
It was the first team to qualify for Russia and it did so in style.
Under coach Adenor Bacchi, they've had 13 wins, three draws and just one loss in a friendly to Argentina.
Lucy Zelic says much of the credit for the Brazilian revival goes to Bacchi, who took on the job in September 2016.
"He has done an aboslutely outstanding job with this team. The players respect him and I think he is certainly getting the best out of them and well understands the kind of football they want to be playing and the kind of football they need to get results. When you consider Brazil as a nation, football is third only to God and family so this for them is their bread and butter and it's the kind of sport for them in which they are the most successful. The players they have got at their disposal are just remarkable to see and these are players that are playing in top leagues in the world and when they do come together they gel really beautifully and they are as cohesive football side that plays very attractive, attacking football."
With Brazil expected to top Group E, Switzerland, Costa Rica and Serbia will be fighting out for second place and a berth in the round of 16.
The Swiss have high ambitions with its squad topped with footballers in their mid 20s who should be in their prime.
Ricardo Rodriguez, Fabian Schaer , Xherdan Shaqiri and Granit Xhaka are all plying their trade in the top European leagues.
Serbia too has every reason for optimism, having cruised through the qualifying rounds.
Crucial to their fortunes has been striker Aleksandar Mitrovic, who recently helped London side Fulham to Premier League promotion.
"For sure, it is a great way to end the season the way it did. Thank God it ended that way. It certainly means a lot to me in terms of confidence and motivation, and I hope that I will continue (playing) the way I did at Fulham, and do the same for the national team."
Mitrovic is hoping to carry that form and confidence into the World Cup.
And rounding out Group E is Costa Rica - one of the biggest surprise packages of 2014, when the Central Americans not only emerged unbeaten in a group featuring former World Cup-winners Italy, England and Uruguay but went on to reach the quarter-finals.
But while Real Madrid goalkeeper Keylor Navas remains their key player after his Rio heroics, the team's form in recent times hasn't impressed.
Off-field issues have also proved a distraction - coach Paolo Wanchope [[wan-CHOP-eh]] replaced by former midfielder Oscar Ramirez after being involved in a fight with a steward after an under-23s match in Panama.
Both Los Ticas and the Serbs have the talent for an upset.... but the Swiss look the warm favourite to join Brazil in progressing through the group stage.
