Argentina’s 2022 FIFA World Cup-winning squad arrived home to a jubilant Buenos Aires yesterday, with massive crowds lining the streets and cheering their champions’ return.
Skipper Lionel Messi stepped off the plane first, holding the gold trophy aloft, followed by his triumphant team onto a red carpet at the airport, greeted by reporters, officials and a live band.
Forward Julian Alvarez, a revelation in Qatar with his four goals, was one of the next players out of the Aerolineas Argentinas Airbus A330.
A picture of Messi was emblazoned on the plane’s tail with the words: ‘one team, one country, one dream’ on its side.
The players made their way from the plane along a red carpet straight to a white open-top bus with the words ‘world champions’ and three stars on its side as their World Cup theme song ‘Muchachos’ by ska band La Mosca blared out.
As the team bus departed the airport, it was immediately swarmed by cheering supporters dressed in the national colours of blue and white.
The bus carrying the Argentina Football Team inched forward slowly behind a police escort, surrounded by tens of thousands of people waving the Argentine flag and setting off firecrackers.
The air was filled with cheers as the crowd sang and danced and the players, standing on the open top deck, waved to their adoring supporters.
