DHundreds of thousands of people awaited the players of the Argentina team in the streets of Buenos Aires on Tuesday 20 December. Back in the night, the new world champions went to meet their public during a victory parade that lasted several hours, in the middle of a dense crowd from afar. Already, the night of the match, they had been more than a million in the streets of the capital to celebrate the victory of their team, according to the municipality.
At 11:45 a.m. (2:45 p.m. GMT), the now “tri-campeones” bus began its parade from the headquarters of the Argentine Federation (AFA), and was to reach the obelisk 32 km away, in the heart of the capital. , the focal point of the celebrations. At a very uncertain time, given the thousands of supporters, a crowded tide of sky and white jerseys, which were already slowing him down, a few minutes after the start.
« Muchaaachos… ahora ganamos la tercera »
From everywhere, from the suburbs of the capital, from the provinces, from Rosario 300 km away, they had come, sometimes left in the middle of the night, taking advantage of a day declared a public holiday to come and share the intoxication of the 3e world title, and invaded the capital in the early hours of the morning. “Muchaaachos… ahora ganamos la tercera (now we have won the third (Editor’s note)” from time to time, the song that has become the unofficial anthem of Argentine hinchas resounded along the main avenues, closed to traffic, and in the metro. Alternating with the national anthem, more apropos than ever, Coronados de gloria (“Crown with glory”) and an inexhaustible repertoire.
Nearly four hours before the expected arrival of the player bus at the obelisk, there were already tens of thousands, probably more. 25 degrees at 9 am, the day promised to be hot. Their goal ? Celebrate, commune, just see “them”. “Just being able to watch them go by is a lot! Just if Messi looks us in the eyes for a moment when I film, for me it’s good! declared, hilarious, Nicolas, 19, who came to the obelisk with a dozen friends.
They had been more than a million, according to the municipality, until late on Sunday night to celebrate the victory against France (3-3, 4 tab to 2). This figure should be exceeded without difficulty on Tuesday.
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On the night, legendary player and captain Leo Messi was the first to appear on the jet bridge at around 2:30 local time (5:30 GMT), holding up the golden World Cup trophy, to win the red carpet deployed on the tarmac of Ezeiza business airport. The sky blue and white Airbus A330 of the Aerolineas Argentinas company bore the inscription “a team, a country, a dream” and on its rear wing are the drawings of Messi, Rodrigo de Paul, or Angel di Maria, the other hero of the finale, author of the 2e goal against France.
The players immediately boarded a white double-decker bus, flocked with 3 stars and the “campeon del mundo (world champion, editor’s note)”, for a few hours of rest at the nearby training center of the Argentine Federation of football (AFA). Cheered by several thousand supporters, who had been camping for hours, eager to be the first to salute the heroes. In the afternoon, in groups, as a family, with tents, camping chairs, parillas, drums – and of course balloons –, they posted themselves on the wide shaded shoulders of the route of about ten kilometers between the airport and the AFA.
An “indescribable joy”
“I’m here because of the passion for Argentina,” said Alejandra Diaz, 55, who had waited overnight for the Albiceleste near the AFA. “It’s a huge emotion that’s hard to explain (to be a football fan in Argentina). Your heart is racing. I think it’s the only country that lives (football) this way, with this madness, this joy and this happiness. »
Many police officers were provided to ensure a fast route, diversions to allow smooth access to the city center of the bus, which was to leave around 12 p.m. the AFA to rally the obelisk, about 30 km away. In 2021, upon returning from the victorious Copa America campaign in Brazil, the bus had taken four hours to cover ten kilometers.
“Buen dia” (Good morning) posted Lionel Messi on his Instagram account, along with a photo of him sleeping with the World Cup in his arms.
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The climax of the day was expected at the beginning of the afternoon, around the obelisk, on the route of a large loop of 7 kilometers that the bus of the now “tri-campeones” from Argentina was to take, by the wide city avenues. A last-minute change of itinerary was not excluded, because taking 9 de Julio Avenue, one of the widest in the world (140 m), seemed a priori mission impossible, given the compact crowd.
But, except surprise, not by the Casa rosada, the presidential palace, which did not appear on the initial route. After the last world title, in 1986, Diego Maradona appeared on the presidential balcony with the trophy, alongside President Raul Alfonsin. An image that remains in the memories.
Because this third star for the Albiceleste, after those of the teams of Daniel Passarella (1978) then Diego Maradona (1986), after the long wait, the lost finals of 1990 and 2014, bears the mark of Messi, sevenfold Golden Ball and, at the end of his career, at 35, named the best player in the World Cup.
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Messi was later on Tuesday or Wednesday to join his native Rosario, for a new party, a new hero’s welcome, now a legend, alongside Diego Maradona. “We will receive Leo in Rosario, and we will continue to celebrate him, for months, years…”, promised, radiant, Luciano Peralta, 41-year-old shopkeeper, who came to Buenos Aires to share this “indescribable joy, this blessing, this a breath of fresh air after so many years of economic crisis”.
“It’s moving, when you love your country, to see it like this,” summarized Cristina Vasquez, 42, a sky and white jersey on her shoulders, moved among soon a million others.