CNN
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Argentina’s World Cup-winning squad returned home to jubilant Buenos Aires in the early hours of Tuesday morning, with massive crowds lining the streets cheering the return of their champions.
Captain Lionel Messi got off the plane first, holding the golden trophy aloft, followed by his triumphant team on a red carpet at the airport, greeted by journalists, officials and a live band.
As the team bus left the airport, it was immediately thronged with cheering supporters dressed in the national blue and white colours. Videos show the bus moving slowly behind a police escort, surrounded by tens of thousands of people waving the Argentine flag and setting off firecrackers into the night.
The air was filled with cheers as the crowd sang and danced; the players, standing on the open upper deck, saluted their loyal supporters.
Hundreds of thousands of fans are expected to take to the streets of the capital later on Tuesday, which has been declared a public holiday, for the team’s victory parade following their thrilling penalty shoot-out win over France in Qatar on Sunday.
The team will first spend the night at the Argentine Football Association’s training ground, according to state news agency Telam.
Crowds of supporters had camped at the training site on Monday ahead of the team’s arrival, with photos showing supporters emerging from cars parked at its grounds. Some lay on blankets on the grass while others lay on picnic chairs around coolers.
The team’s highly anticipated comeback continues with days of non-stop celebrations across the country and among fans abroad, following Argentina’s explosive win over France.
Superstars Messi and Kylian Mbappé faced off on the pitch, in what has been widely called the greatest World Cup final of all time.
Mbappé was defending France’s 2018 victory at the tournament in Russia, while 35-year-old Messi was playing his last World Cup game, looking to lift the trophy that had eluded him for so long.
Argentina took an early lead in the first half, but France roared in the second half, reaching a 2-2 draw which forced the game into extra time.
Messi scored his second goal of the game to restore his side’s lead – but Mbappé scored a second penalty to grab his hat-trick and lead the final to a penalty shoot-out, which ended in a triumph for the Argentina after France missed two shots.
Hundreds of thousands of people filled the streets of Buenos Aires after the World Cup triumph, flooding the central 9 de Julio avenue. Videos on social media showed cheering fans climbing street poles to wave the Argentine flag; others on the ground danced, sang and sang in celebration.
The triumph in Doha was Argentina’s third World Cup win and their first since 1986, when the legendary Diego Maradona led the team to victory in Mexico.
Sunday’s victory also marked a change of fortune 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 – although the almost unanimous national outcry convinced him to backtrack, ahead of winning the Copa América in 2021.
Now, with the World Cup also under his belt, Messi has cemented his status as one of the greatest footballers of all time alongside Maradona and Brazilian Pelé.
“I can’t believe we suffered so much in a perfect match. Unbelievable, but this team responds to everything,” Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said after Sunday’s game, according to Reuters.
“I’m proud of the job they’ve done,” he added, fighting back tears as he was embraced by his players. “I want to tell people to enjoy, this is a historic moment for our country.”
