Chile striker Mauricio Pinilla gets tattoo of agonising last-minute shot that hit that bar against Brazil

It was the strike that came so close to knocking out hosts

Charles Reynolds
Tuesday 01 July 2014 16:31 BST
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You'd imagine it would be a moment that Mauricio Pinilla would never want to re-live, his 119th minute shot cannoning off the crossbar instead of nestling into the net inches below.

However instead of trying to forget the fact that he came so close to scoring the last-minute winner that would have knocked out Brazil and sent an entire nation into despair, the Chile striker has had it immortalised forever in a tattoo on his back.

Pinilla's new ink shows a stylised version of the moment his shot smashed into Julio Cesar's crossbar, with the words 'One centimetre from glory' written below in English.

Pinilla's tattoo

Not that he was ever likely to forget the moment he came so close to ending Brazil's World Cup hoodoo over Chile, but Pinilla now has a permanent reminder to take with him everywhere.

Ultimately Chile lost the game in a penalty shoot-out, with Pinilla seeing his effort saved, although that was seemingly one moment that he decided not to get tattooed on himself.

Video: Chile players return home from World Cup

Despite Chile's loss, thousands of fans still lined the streets of Santiago to welcome the players home after an overall impressive World Cup campaign, with President Michelle Bachelet honouring the returning footballers.

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