SAD NEWS: Iconic Brazilian fan passes on..

Clovis Fernandes, the iconic Brazil fan who travelled to games with a World Cup replica trophy, has died aged 60, according to reports in his homeland.

Fernandes, better known as 'Gaucho da Copa', followed his nation around the globe and attended every World Cup since 1990.

He was dubbed Brazil’s ‘saddest fan’ following the 7-1 semi-final capitulation against Germany last year, with a picture of him tearfully clutching his fake trophy being beamed around the world.It later emerged that he had passed it to a German fan after the match, reportedly telling her:

“take it to the final. As you can see, it is not easy, but you deserve it, congratulations!”

He famously referred to himself as Brazil’s most-capped player – by 2014, he had racked up 154 matches across 66 countries – while his 'Gaucho da Copa' nickname stemmed from his penchant for wearing the traditional cowboy garb of his native Rio Grande do Sul.

Brazilian outlet Globo reported that he died after a nine-year battle with cancer.

Brazil's '12th player' • Rest in peace #Clovis #Icon #SuperFan

A video posted by Football Soccer Futbol ⚽️ (@rldesignz) on Sep 17, 2015 at 9:09pm PDT