BUENOS Aires – Argentina’s World Cup-winning squad arrived home to a jubilant Buenos Aires on Tuesday as millions of people lined the streets and celebrated their champions’ return.
On arriving in the country on Tuesday morning, team Captain Lionel Messi stepped off the plane first, holding the gold trophy aloft, followed by his triumphant team onto a red carpet at the airport.
As the team bus departed the airport, it was immediately swarmed by cheering supporters dressed in the national colors of blue and white. Videos show the bus inching forward slowly behind a police escort, surrounded by tens of thousands of people waving the Argentine flag and setting off firecrackers in the night.
The air was filled with cheers as the crowd sang and danced; the players, standing on the open top deck, waved to their adoring supporters.
Some four million people came out to see the victory parade in the capital, state media agency Télam reported, citing police. Tuesday had been declared a national holiday following the team’s thrilling penalty shootout victory over France in Qatar on Sunday.
The bus carrying the entire team was meant to make its way to the Obelisk, a historic monument in the center of Buenos Aires, but was not able to progress due to the swarming crowds, Claudio ‘Chiqui’ Tapia, the president of the Argentine Football Association said Tuesday.
“They won’t let us go to greet all the people who were at the Obelisk, the same security agencies that escorted us, won’t allow us to move forward,” Tapia said, “A thousand apologies on behalf of all the champion players.”
A helicopter including Messi, teammate Rodrigo De Paul and Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni flew over the crowds, police said Tuesday, soaring over the parade before being flown back to the football association’s training site in Ezeiza, on the city’s outskirts.
The team will spend the night at the Argentine Football Association’s training facility, according to Télam.
Crowds of supporters had camped out at the training site on Monday ahead of the team’s arrival, with photos showing fans spilling out of cars parked on its grounds. Some laid on blankets on the grass while others lounged on picnic chairs around coolers.
The team’s highly-anticipated return continues several days of nonstop celebration across the country and among fans overseas, following Argentina’s explosive win against France.
The triumph in Doha was Argentina’s third World Cup win and its first since 1986, when the legendary Diego Maradona led the team to victory in Mexico.
Sunday’s win also marked a change in fortunes for Argentina after three recent defeats in major finals – the 2014 World Cup, and the Copa America in 2015 and 2016.
Those losses prompted Messi at one point to announce his retirement from international football – though the almost-unanimous national outcry convinced him to reverse track, before wining the Copa América in 2021.
Now, with the World Cup also under his belt, Messi has cemented his status as one of the all-time soccer greats alongside Maradona and Brazil’s Pelé. (CNN)
