Thousands of ecstatic fans gave Argentina‘s squad a heroes’ welcome in Buenos Aires in the early hours before dawn on Tuesday after the plane carrying Lionel Messi and his World Cup-winning teammates touched down at Ezeiza airport.
The Argentine capital has been in party mode since their dramatic victory over France in Sunday’s final in Qatar that gave the country its first World Cup win since Diego Maradona hoisted the trophy 36 years ago.
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The players, wearing their gold winners’ medals around their necks and taking turns to hold the World Cup trophy aloft, waved at fans from an open-top bus as the lights from thousands of mobile phones sparkled and flags fluttered.
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.