A moment of pride
After winning the World Cup, thousands of fans lined up in the middle of the night to try to catch sight of the Argentina soccer team that won one of the greatest World Cup finals of all time.
Just before 3 a.m. on Tuesday, the team members, led by captain Lionel Messi, stepped off the plane onto a red carpet that had been set up for them in Ezeiza, a town outside of Argentina’s capital.
Lionel Scaloni and Messi were the first players off the plane carrying the World Cup. As they passed a placard that read, “Thank you, champions,” Scaloni threw his arm around the captain.
The rock group La Mosca performed “Muchachos,” a song that was made by a fan to the tune of an earlier song by the group and became a well-liked unofficial anthem for Argentine fans at the World Cup in Qatar, as they were greeted by the players.
While waiting for everyone to board an open-top bus to take them to the headquarters of the Argentine Football Association, the freshly crowned world champions could be heard singing “Muchachos,” with Messi leading the way.
Messi carried the World Cup the entire time as the athletes waved and even sang to the crowd.
While this was going on, Nicolas Tagliafico published a picture of the World Cup sitting in an aeroplane seat just like any other passenger.
Tuesday was designated as a public holiday by President Alberto Fernandez so that people could celebrate the win.
The Glorious Return
Many people kept a careful check on the flight that returned the players home to celebrate the day after the Sunday victory, as the streets of Argentina were transformed by huge celebrations. Nearly 200,000 people followed the flight’s progress online as it neared Argentina, and news outlets broadcast the landing live.
The players were greeted with fireworks at AFA headquarters, which was located around 11 kilometres (6.8 miles) from the airport.
People began showing up at the airport and in front of the AFA headquarters in the afternoon in anticipation of catching a glimpse of the team.
Several athletes shared pictures of the flight on social media.
While this was going on, Nicolas Tagliafico published a picture of the World Cup sitting in an aeroplane seat just like any other passenger.
With one of the highest inflation rates in the world, a nearly four-in-ten poverty rate, and years of economic stagnation, the World Cup and the success of the team have delivered glorious news to the nation.
