Sports

Chile striker gets World Cup near-miss tattooed on his back

If you happen to be visiting a Chilean beaches this summer, you might come across one tramp stamp that differs from the rest.

The unique lower back tattoo belongs to Chilean striker Mauricio Pinilla.

Pinilla’s shot against Brazil rattles off the crossbar.EPA

Most world-class athletes try to move on from their biggest failures as soon as possible. Pinilla took a different approach after rocketing a shot that ricocheted off the crossbar in the 119th minute of an eventual Round of 16 loss to Brazil at the World Cup.

Pinilla decided to commemorate his flirtation with destiny by getting an image of the moment tattooed on his lower back, along with the words “One centimetre from glory.”

The host Brazilians went on to win the game on penalty kicks in order to avoid a monumental upset. Pinilla had the opportunity to make up for his extra-time miss, but failed to convert his turn at a penalty kick.