Following their World Cup final defeat to Spain, the Argentine football team returned home without star Lionel Messi, but thousands of supporters braved the cold and rain on Monday to give them a euphoric welcome. Four years after millions celebrated their team’s tournament victory in 2022, it was not the homecoming Argentines had dreamed for, but new scenes of ecstatic anarchy filled the street as they danced, sung, and let off fireworks to thank the players.
The legendary team captain Messi was not seen getting off the plane in pictures shown on local television, and the Argentine Football Association (AFA) had previously announced that some team members would not be traveling. A military band and a crimson carpet greeted coach Lionel Scaloni and the team. After that, they got on a bus and waved to ecstatic fans as they went.
“Argentines will celebrate anyway,” said housewife Marga Ledezma, despite not winning a second consecutive championship. The 36-year-old hailed Messi for “all the years he made us happy,” encouraging him to continue playing for Argentina but acknowledging that it would be challenging given his advanced age of 39. Argentina lost 1-0 to Spain in a match that has drawn criticism from the international media due to the Albiceleste’s numerous fouls and acts of poor sportsmanship.
Despite Argentina’s World Cup defeat, thousands welcome home the team without Messi. On Monday, the Argentine Football Association (AFA) training camp in Ezeiza, Buenos Aires Province, is approached by a bus carrying the Argentina national football team. AFP “I think they criticize us because we know what it’s like to suffer, that we get up, we fall down again, and we keep going,” said Ledezma. In view of the ongoing conflict between the two nations over the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands, many supporters emphasized that Argentina’s 2-1 victory against England in the semifinals was the true triumph.
Also Read:
China “Firmly Opposes” British Steel’s Nationalization by the UK
