Argentina's Lionel Messi (L, front) waves as coach Carlo Scaroni (R, front) shows off his team's World Cup victory on Dec. 20, 2019. Xinhua/Reuters
It was Argentina's third World Cup victory and the airport greeted the team home with a Watergate salute. Live bands celebrate and fans gather here to greet them. Messi stepped off the plane first with the World Cup in hand, followed by Argentina coach Scaroni and the rest of the team.
Earlier, the Argentine government declared the 20th as a national holiday. With shouts, dances and greetings, the Argentine team embarked on a victory parade in an open-top bus from the national team's headquarters 37 kilometers from downtown Buenos Aires at noon.
Tens of thousands of Argentine fans in blue and white striped shirts draped in the national flag have gathered around the landmark obelisk in central Buenos Aires, some of whom have been waiting for more than 24 hours. Even though the event is still some time away, they are already cheering wildly for Messi and his teammates.
The parade lasted about five hours. The team had planned to take an open-top bus from the compound to the downtown Obelisk area to celebrate with fans and return to the compound. But with more fans than expected along the way, the motorcade struggled to reach the city centre. The Argentine Football Association decided to end the tour early for safety reasons. Around 4 p.m., the motorcade changed direction and the team members took a helicopter cruise. The helicopter carrying the team circled the city centre several times before returning to the team compound.
At about 4:20 p.m., the helicopter arrived at the base and the tour officially ended. Fans in Buenos Aires were still wildly celebrating the "epic" victory.
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