They came so close to upsetting the old world order of football.
And that they went so far will have to temper their disappointment.
For more than 45 minutes the mood in Istanbul's main Taksim Square was one of supreme confidence.
The crowd of maybe 10,000 sung patriotic songs with commitment and vigour as young fans led them, waving the red flag with its crescent and star.
But then, at half time, the heavens opened and the supporters were swamped.
The heavy rain was a bad omen: Within minutes the Brazilians had scored.
The crowd was stunned into silence.
At the end the Turkish commentator said repeatedly: "Thank you, Turkey."
He was expressing gratitude on behalf of a nation which had come to expect so much.
As the crowds began to drift away, most stood to attention to sing the national anthem.
And then musicians on a huge stage began to try to raise their spirits, but their hearts were not in it.
It is a time for Turks to mourn; playing for third place was never the game plan.