BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) December,20 — Thousands of fans lined up in the middle of the night to try to get a glimpse of the Argentina soccer team that won one of the greatest World Cup finals of all time ahead of what is scheduled to be a day of celebrations in Buenos Aires.
Members of the team, led by captain Lionel Messi, were all smiles as they descended from the plane in Ezeiza, right outside Argentina’s capital, shortly before 3 a.m. Tuesday onto a red carpet that had been rolled out for the squad.
Messi was the first player from the plane carrying the World Cup, flanked by coach Lionel Scaloni, who put his arm around the captain as they walked past a sign that read, “Thank you, champions.”
The players were welcomed by rock band La Mosca singing “Muchachos,” a song that was written by a fan to the tune of an old song by the band and became a popular unofficial anthem for Argentine fans at the World Cup in Qatar.
It took the bus around one hour to travel approximately 11 kilometres (6.8 miles) from the airport to AFA headquarters, where the players were welcomed with fireworks.
They will sleep at AFA headquarters for a few hours before boarding the bus later Tuesday to the Obelisk, the iconic Buenos Aires landmark that was a sea of people Sunday afternoon after the team won the country’s third World Cup, and its first since 1986. President Alberto Fernandez has declared Tuesday a national holiday so the country can celebrate its victory.
A day after the Argentinian streets turned into a huge party after Sunday’s win, many watched closely as the plane flew home to celebrate the players. As the plane approached Argentine soil, 20 Nearly 10,000 people followed that route online, and news channels reported the arrival live.
In the afternoon, people started arriving in front of the airport and his AFA headquarters to catch a glimpse of the team.
Many have already arrived at the obelisk and seem willing to spend the night there to secure the perfect spot for Tuesday’s celebration. Several players have posted pictures of themselves on the plane on social media.
Messi held the World Cup on an aeroplane. Nicolas Tagliafico, meanwhile, posted a World Cup photo strapped to his seat on the plane like just another passenger.
As of early Tuesday morning, there were no official plans for Fernandez or other political leaders to attend the celebration.
The success of the World Cup and Messi’s team has been a coveted good for a country that has been in economic stagnation for years, is suffering from the highest inflation in the world and is home to nearly 4 out of 10 people. brought the news.
Fernandez retweeted several messages celebrating the World Cup victory from other world leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin. “Thank you for this greeting, President Putin,” Fernandez wrote on Twitter after the phone call with Putin. “Take the example of happiness that binds Argentina today to many countries in the world.
Our society needs unity and peace. “
