Thousands of people gathered in the middle night in an attempt to catch a glimpse at the Argentina soccer team, who won the World Cup in Argentina. It is scheduled that there will be a celebration in Buenos Aires.
The team was led by Lionel Messi as captain and they were smiling when they descended from their plane in Ezeiza just before 3:00 a.m. on Tuesday to a red carpet laid out for them.
Messi was flanked by Lionel Scaloni who embraced the captain and put his arm around him as they passed a sign saying, “Thanks, champions.”
La Mosca, a rock band that sang “Muchachos” to welcome the players performed the song. It was composed by a fan and has become a well-known unofficial anthem among Argentine fans during the World Cup in Qatar.
As the newly crowned world champions boarded an open-top bus, many, including Messi could be heard singing “Muchachos” as they waited to see if everyone was ready to move on to the headquarters for the Argentine Football Association.
As fans, some waving Argentine flags and moving at a snail’s speed, crowded the bus along a road, desperate to see the players, law enforcement tried their best to stop them.
Messi, who was accompanied by World Cup players during the entire trip, often waved at fans and sang with them.
The bus took approximately one hour to cover the 11 km (6.8 mile) distance from the airport to AFA Headquarters, where players were greeted with fireworks.
After a brief rest at AFA Headquarters, they will board the bus to Obelisk. This iconic landmark in Buenos Aires was a seascape Sunday after the team won its third World Cup.
To celebrate this victory, President Alberto Fernandez made Tuesday a national holiday.
Many people kept an eye on the plane that took the players home the day following Sunday’s victory. Nearly 200,000 people followed the flight online as it approached Argentine soil. News channels also broadcast live coverage.
People began arriving outside of AFA Headquarters and the AFA airport in the morning to get a better view of the team.
Others were already present at the Obelisk and ready to stay the night to secure a spot in the center of Tuesday’s celebrations.
Many players shared photos from the flight on social media.
Messi was holding the World Cup in his hand on board the plane. Nicolas Tagliafico posted, however, a picture of Messi’s World Cup strapped into an airplane seat, as though it was a passenger.
According to Anibal Fernandez Security Minister, there was no formal plan for Fernandez or other political leaders to participate in the celebrations as of Tuesday morning.
A country where nearly four in 10 people are living in poverty, and that is struggling with high inflation rates for many years has seen much of its economic woes lifted by the World Cup and the Messi-led team’s success.
Fernandez received several congratulations from world leaders including Vladimir Putin, and retweeted them.
Fernandez thanked Putin for his greetings via Twitter. Fernandez had spoken to Putin by telephone. Let the joy that unites Argentina today with many other countries around the globe serve as an example. Our societies require unity and peace.
