COPENHAGEN, Denmark Danish newspapers on Saturday bid farewell to playmaker Michael Laudrup and lauded the red-and-whites' valiant effort against Brazil in the soccer World Cup quarterfinals. Denmark's 3-2 loss to the world champions was ``the world's most beautiful defeat,'' said Berlingske Tidenede. Jyllands-Posten said it was ``an elegant good-bye to the World Cup.'' Newspapers splashed superlatives across their frontpages. ``Thanks and good-bye,'' the tabloid Ekstra Bladet headlined across its front page, next to a photo of Laudrup, considered one of Denmark's best players ever.

The 34-year-old had earlier announced he would retire after 17 years on the Danish side. ``Oh God, Michael Laudrup would have deserved to lift the World Cup trophy in Paris on July 12. But that's how soccer is. The match should have been a final, with a different winner,'' Ekstra Bladet said. It added that the Danes, who reached the quarterfinals after a convincing 4-1 win against favorites Nigeria, gave the Brazilians ``a lesson in modern soccer but we lost because of stupid defensive errors.'' Laudrup left the team ``with a great and dashing contribution as the team captain,'' Politiken said under the headline ``thanks for the dance.'' More than 120,000 fans watched the game on giant television screens in Copenhagen's main square and in Aarhus, Denmark's second-largest town.

The Danish fans lived up to their affable reputation of being cheerful and nonviolent. Newspapers in neighboring Sweden, whose team failed to reach the finals in France, were also full of praise for Denmark's effort. ``Denmark, thank-you for daring,'' wrote sports columnist Torbjorn Peterson in Sweden's largest morning paper, Dagens Nyheter. ``And thanks for the soccer party.'' The tabloid Aftonbladet, Sweden's largest paper, printed several heroes'' and ``Denmark - you are the best losers of all time.'' Aftonbladet's rival, Expressen, was also gushing in its accolades.

``So close Denmark - thanks for the party...'' (AP)