Thousands take to the streets in Argentina to welcome home soccer World Cup champions
Argentina’s World Cup soccer champions have been given a heroes welcome home, with thousands turning out in the early hours of the morning in capital Buenos Aires after the team touched down from Qatar.
The country has been in party mode since the dramatic victory over France in Sunday’s final, which gave Argentina its first World Cup win since Diego Maradona lifted the trophy 36 years ago.
The players sported their gold medals around their necks and took turns to hold the World Cup trophy while waving to fans from an open-top bus, as the lights from thousands of mobile phones sparkled and flags fluttered in the crowd.
Joyous fans sang to the beat of a drum and fireworks lit up the sky as the bus slowly wound its way through the crowd.
Thousands had tracked the plane, state airline Aerolineas Argentinas flight AR1915, all the way from Doha via Rome.
The players are expected to spend time at the Argentine Football Association facilities near the airport, before heading to the Obeliso monument in the centre of town, where hundreds of thousands of people are likely to gather.
Argentina beat France 4-2 on penalties after a scintillating 3-3 draw, with Lionel Messi scoring twice and France’s Kylian Mbappe netting three times.
Messi, 35, announced that the final would be his last match in the World Cup, though he intends to play a few more games for the national side.
Reuters
