AArgentina’s soccer heroes have landed in their homeland two days after winning the World Cup. At around 2:30 a.m. local time (6:30 a.m. CET), the plane with the team led by superstar Lionel Messi touched down at the airport in the capital, Buenos Aires.
Messi was the first player to disembark Aerolinas Argentinas Airbus A330 and presented the World Cup to the fans before coach Lionel Scaloni exited the plane. The plane was adorned with a portrait of Messi and the slogan “one team, one country, one dream”.
The team walked down a red carpet to an open-top, white, double-decker bus with “Campeones Del Mundo” (World Champions) written on it. Upon arrival, a five-kilometer drive was planned over to the association’s compound in Ezeiza. The start of a long holiday that the government had declared nationwide for Tuesday.
“La Scaloneta” in the double-decker bus
The planned schedule for the ceremony: After a short breather at the AFA headquarters and a hearty lunch, “La Scaloneta”, as the Seleccion is only called at home, based on coach Lionel Scaloni, travels in an open double-decker bus from the outskirts past endless trellises of fans to to the heart of Buenos Aires. Traditionally, the area around the obelisk, the 68 meter high pillar symbol of the capital, was chosen as a place for celebration.
According to official information, a good million fans stormed the streets of Greater Buenos Aires on Sunday after the final penalty in the 4-2 triumph over France (3-3 aet), mainly around the obelisk and on the road leading to it Boulevard 9 de Julio jammed into an endless knot of people.
A ceremony in the presidential palace Casa Rosada initially faced security concerns. When the body of the idol Diego Maradona was laid out in November 2020, there were chaotic scenes there. Therefore, the level of protection for receiving the world champions has also been increased.
