Underdog stories are our favorite! But this underdog story of the Brazilian Soccer team, Chapecoense, ended tragically when their plane crashed and killed dozens.

Chapecoense was a small Brazilian team. They have won only four state championships but never a league title. This year was different, as they had an incredible season with a lot of luck and ended up going to the finals to face opposing team Joinville.

The game was not at their home field, so they had to fly to Columbia. It was during this trip that the plane crashed in Rionegro, killing 75 people.

81 people were in this plane including all of the team (minus the injured players), flight attendants, pilots, and journalists. The six people who survived this crash included three players, two crew members, and one journalist.

Many major soccer teams such as Real Madrid paid tribute to the team and everyone else who died on the flight.

Three of the club’s players were not on the flight because they were injured. They were stunned when they heard the news in the empty Chapecoense locker room.

The Copa Sudamericana is the second biggest club competition in South America. The cup would have had a major impact on the Chapecoense since they haven’t ever won it. But they made it to the finals and might have had a chance against Joinville. Out of respect, Joinville gave Chapecoense the title of the Copa Sudamericana. It was a huge act of sportsmanship and was honored by the Chapecoense team, coaches and fans.