Just as Denmark had knocked out one of the joint favourites, France, 24 hours earlier, their Scandinavian neighbours Sweden ensured the elimination of the other as Argentina, for all their huff and puff, were denied the win they needed to survive.
Bristling with purpose and physical resolution, the Swedes withstood a barrage of attacks to reach the second round as group winners, where they will meet Senegal in Oita on Sunday.
In doing so they extended their unbeaten run in competitive fixtures to 13 games, dating back to a 2-1 defeat by Italy in Eindhoven during Euro 2000.
"The sky's the limit now," said the Swedish goalkeeper Magnus Hedman, who had played a key role in keeping their opponents at bay. "And why not? No one thought we would get this far."
Argentina's bad day was compounded by the first-half dismissal of Claudio Caniggia from the bench for abusive language.
Anders Svensson gave Sweden the lead with a bending free-kick from 30 yards just short of the hour after he had been tripped by Matias Almeyda.
The Southampton player needed treatment before rising to score and, while he was down, Gabriel Batistuta's international career ended ignominiously as he was substituted by Hernan Crespo.
Up to that point Argentina had dominated and they continued to do so but never really looked like scoring. Then, with two minutes left, Ariel Ortega was brought down by Mattias Jonsson in the penalty area.
Ortega took the penalty, Hedman saved it diving to his left but Crespo, reacting quickest, hammered in the equaliser. It was far too late, though, to save Argentina.
When asked what single quality had enabled Sweden to qualify for the next stage at the expense of favourites Argentina, Henrik Larsson did not hesitate. "We have no stars," he said.
This, Larsson felt, was a positive attribute. As he spoke to the press in the "mixed zone", several of his team-mates strolled past, provoking no more than a glance from reporters.
Meanwhile, over in another corner, a huge scrum had formed around Batistuta. He was holding court to about 50 journalists, scrabbling for his every word. To his left, an equally sizeable pack was enclosing Juan Sebastian Veron. These are the players everyone wants a piece of, football's Hollywood. But they are out of the World Cup. That is what happens, clearly, when you have stars in your team.
Yet Larsson said he had never dreamt Argentina would fall victim to the World Cup's group of death. "No," he said. "For me, for all of us, it was between the rest who went through with Argentina. We always knew it would be difficult but at the same time we always had belief. Otherwise what would be the point of coming?"
No one, however, was as surprised at Argentina's departure as the players themselves. At the final whistle, while the Swedes hugged and celebrated, they sank to their knees and covered their faces. Veron and Ortega wept, Crespo cried for Argentina.
They all stayed on the pitch for ages, as if hoping someone would tell them it had all been a huge mistake, that there would be a retake.
"I am absolutely devastated by this," said Veron. "This is the worst moment of my life. We had hoped to give this World Cup as a present to the people of Argentina but that is not possible now."
If this was the end of an era, nowhere was it more tellingly illustrated than in the performance of Batistuta. At one point he fell under a Swedish challenge. He casually picked the ball up, in anticipation of the free-kick he assumed was his by right. When the referee blew instead for hand-ball, his look of aggrieved astonishment was that of the ageing film star, told by the maitre d' that the best table in the house had already been given to the new kid on the block.
SUBSTITUTES
Sweden: A Andersson for Allback (46 mins); Jonsson for A Svensson (68 mins); Ibrahimovic for Larsson (88 mins). Argentina: Crespo for Batistuta (58 mins); Veron for Almeyda and K Gonzalez for Sorin (both 63 mins).
RED CARDS
Argentina: Cannigia 45 (was on substitutes bench and took no part in the match).
YELLOW CARDS
Sweden: M Svensson, Larsson. Argentina: Chamot, Almeyda, K Gonzalez.
