It was a moment that would define one player's career and another England disappointment at a World Cup finals.
David Beckham's red card for kicking out at Argentina's Diego Simeone at France '98 was watched by millions around the world.
Here, Sportsmail takes you through what happened during those mad 50 seconds 20 years ago at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, Saint-Etienne and what happened next for Beckham.
'Ten Heroic Lions, One Stupid Boy' was the headline in one newspaper. 'You're Just A Joke Becks,' screamed another. Tuesday, June 30, 1998. A day that started with hope, despite memories of 1986, but a night that ended with a feelings of anger and bitterness.
Until the 47th minute, David Beckham had demonstrated the qualities that would go on to make him one of England's greatest players.
His calmness on the ball and a level of desire and leadership would later result in him being made England captain.
It was his intelligent decision-making in possession, supreme vision and a magic right foot that found Michael Owen just inside the Argentina half after 16 minutes.
It preceded one of English football's most memorable goals. Owen slaloming past Jose Chamot and Roberto Ayala after his delicate touch brought the ball down on his way to guiding a shot beyond goalkeeper Carlos Roa into the top left corner.
It put England 2-1 ahead following goals from the penalty spot by Gabriel Batistuta and Alan Shearer.
But it was Beckham's naivety, aged 23, that would expose itself on a night that required self-control.
England's 2-1 lead didn't last. In half-time stoppage time, Juan Sebastian Veron cleverly passed to Javier Zanetti from a free kick outside the England penalty area. Zanetti needed one touch to set himself before shooting past David Seaman.
England manager Glenn Hoddle demanded composure but two minutes into the second half what he got was an act of gross lack of wisdom and judgement.
The moment that will never be forgotten came and went in 50 seconds. A 50-second period that would provide Beckham with his toughest test mentally given the outpouring of vitriol that followed.
He has since said how being sent off meant he matured. It was a split second decision that once he had made and executed he knew he had got it so badly wrong.
Diego Simeone, then a central midfielder for Inter Milan, aged 28 - five years older than Beckham - was Argentina's captain. Argentina reflected his personality and approach. Calculated and cold-blooded.
Beckham had his back to Simeone as he went to receive the ball following Tony Adams' headed clearance. The ball didn't reach Beckham before he was sent to the ground by Simeone's left shoulder and left knee which both planted into the back of the England winger.
Danish referee Kim Milton Nielsen had started walking towards Simeone with his right hand ready to produce a yellow card from his pocket when Beckham gave him something else to think about.
Beckham had stayed flat on his front for three seconds but couldn't resist the temptation to lash out. As Simeone moved backwards, closer to the back of the man he'd just sent tumbling to the ground, Beckham raised his right foot and made contact with the back of the midfielder's left leg.
Simeone's reaction was artificial, melodramatic but understandable. Not at all right but it made sense - a player of his nature doing his best to manipulate the outcome of a crucial game.
Nielsen couldn't have been better positioned. Three feet away when Simeone stumbled backwards. The Argentina captain had started appealing before he reached the ground but Nielsen needed little persuading.
His mind was made up before Roberto Almeyda, Juan Sebastian Veron and then Gabriel Batistuta rounded on him, prompting Shearer to push the latter back.
Nielsen produced a yellow card in Simeone's direction, turned to Beckham, who by now knew his fate, and raised a red. The Daily Mail's report of the game, written by Graham Hunter, read: 'Beckham was rightly sent off for his fit of pique after being brought down by Diego Simeone. But his streetwise aggressor, his mugger, received only a booking.'
The image of Beckham looking up to gain confirmation of his dismissal is one etched into the memory of countless England World Cup disappointments.
As is the image of Batistuta stood behind the referee's left shoulder, hands on hips, nodding in approval. The type of look a child would give another after grassing them up to the teacher.
Beckham's face drained as he walked away. Hoddle's sideways stare at Beckham as he headed to the tunnel the same as the parent of the child who'd just been let them down. Anger and disappointment there for all to see.
Hoddle wasn't much more forgiving by the time he spoke to the press about two hours later after losing on penalties following missed efforts by Paul Ince and David Batty.
'David Beckham's sending off cost us dearly,' Hoddle said. 'I am not denying it cost us the game.
'But it would be wrong to put the blame on David Beckham's shoulders or anybody's shoulders. I'm not looking for someone to blame.
'I just hope that the country next year respect the fact that he has done fantastic in the past. And he has got a great, great future - we would be cutting our noses off to spite our face.'
Beckham also fronted up. He said: 'This is without doubt the worst moment of my career. I will always regret my actions during last night's game.
'I have apologised to the England players and management and I want every England supporter to know how deeply sorry I am.'
The Daily Mail's Jeff Powell, who reported on England's one and only World Cup triumph in 1966, pondered what might have been.
Powell wrote: 'Who knows if England would have overthrown the feared Argentinians had David Beckham not been sent off through a mixture of his suicidal petulance and over-reactive refereeing?'
Hoddle's wish of the country supporting Beckham was badly received. Death threats were the worst of it but hate and abuse followed Beckham for much of the following year. Not least at West Ham in the second week of the next season.
Manchester United travelled to Upton Park for the first away game of their 1998/99 Premier League campaign.
It was reported that stones and bottles were thrown at the United team bus ahead of the 0-0 draw.
Beckham was the target. There was also an effigy of an England shirt with his name and No 7 on the back left hanging from a pub complete with a sarong for shorts - a reference to the time he was pictured wearing the item of clothing when out with wife Victoria ahead of the World Cup in France.
West Ham supporters taunted Beckham throughout the game. The jeers increased in volume when an effort in the first half went high over the West Ham goal after making a hash of a volley.
It was the first of many deeply uncomfortable experiences, but on the pitch Beckham was somehow able to stay more often than not focused.
His performances helped inspire United's famous treble that season. Nine goals and 18 assists in all competitions wasn't his best return in his 11 years at the club but he was never far away when it mattered most.
The two crucial goals that turned everything around in the Champions League final against Bayern Munich came from two Beckham corners. He provided the assist from a corner for Roy Keane's header (United's first goal) in the second leg of the semi-final against Juventus.
His free-kick against Tottenham on the final day of the Premier League season set United on their way to a 2-1 win that sealed the title ahead of Arsenal who finished a point behind in second. Later that year he finished runner-up to Rivaldo for the Ballon d'Or.
All of that came long before Simeone admitted he had tried to get him sent off. While preparing to play England at the World Cup in 2002, he said: 'I had tackled him, and we both fell to the ground. As I was trying to stand up that was when he kicked me from behind. And I took advantage of that. And I think any person would have taken advantage of that in just the same way.
'Sometimes you get sent off, sometimes you don't. Unfortunately for the English team that time they lost a player. Anyway, you take advantage of all the opportunities you find in your life.
'If you don't take advantage of a chance that comes your way you are lost.'
Alright for him to say. On separate occasions since that night in Saint-Etienne, Beckham has spoken about how it bothered him.
The headlines, the taunts and the threats. 'It was humiliating,' he said in 2012, aged 37. 'I have nightmares about France 98. It will always be with me.'
In an interview with GQ magazine two years ago, he was asked to pick out his top five career moments. The red card was the first thing that came to his mind.
'One of them would be getting the red card in 1998 because it was a moment where it was difficult for me as a player and as a person, but it made me mature very quickly,' he said.