Emotions ran high in Copenhagen on Thursday evening.
In the first Denmark game since captain Christian Eriksen's shock collapse against Finland last Saturday, the eyes of the footballing world squarely focused on the Danes in their Euro 2020 clash with Belgium.
It is a story which rocked the footballing world and clearly the reverberations of the distressing scenes of Eriksen's cardiac arrest are still resonating strongly with fans.
The tributes poured in at Parken Stadium in the Danish capital both ahead of the game and during the opening minutes.
Before the 5pm kick-off, there were a number of gestures to show solidarity with Eriksen and the Danish team.
A giant replica Denmark shirt with 'Eriksen 10' emblazoned on it was stretched out across the pitch ahead of the anthems, taking up almost an entire half of the pitch.
Fans had also gathered at the stadium, many of whom were wearing shirts with Eriksen's name across them. Buildings around the city also had banners strewn across them with well-wishing messages upon them.
Supporters of both nations inside the stadium showed their support by holding aloft banners with phrases such as "Belgium loves you Christian" and "For Christian" written on them. Another had "The whole of Denmark is with you" stretched across it.
The iconic football anthem 'You'll Never Walk Alone' bleared out prior to kick-off, while Simon Kjaer, who was praised for his actions following Eriksen's collapse, was presented with a signed Christian Eriksen shirt.
In the 10th minute of the game, both teams stopped and a round of applause rang out around the stadium in a particularly poignant moment.
Kjaer and Kasper Schmeichel embraced after the ball went out of play as emotions ran high during the deafening applause.
Romelu Lukaku, an Inter Milan team-mate and close friend, as well as former Tottenham team-mates Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld were also on the pitch for the opposition, applauding in unison.
Eriksen posted his most recent update on Tuesday, a short statement to say he was doing "fine under the circumstances" along with a thumbs up and a smile in his hospital bed.
The playmaker will now be fitted with a heart-starting device and the player's future in football appears to be very much in doubt.
One thing is for certain, though, however far Denmark get in this tournament, Eriksen will not be too far away from their thoughts.
