World Champions Argentina Arrive Home to Heroes’ Welcome

The majority of the 32 participating nations, if not all of them, left their home countries to compete in the world cup with the hope of bringing the trophy back.

Argentina ultimately had the most valiant return, arriving in Buenos Aires with the FIFA world cup trophy.

Despite the team’s early arrival at 2:23 a.m. local time, thousands of jubilant fans gave the World Cup-winning team a hero’s welcome in Buenos Aires on Tuesday after the plane carrying Lionel Messi and his teammates touched down at Ezeiza airport.

In the midst of economic hardship in the country, of which nearly 40 percent live below the poverty line, the Argentine capital has been in party mode since their dramatic victory over France in Sunday’s final in Qatar.

Argentina beat France 4-2 in a penalty shoot-out after the match ended tied 3-3, a victory that gave the country its first World Cup win since Diego Maradona hoisted the trophy 36 years ago.

The players waved to fans from an open-top bus as they paraded the streets at 4:00 am while donning their gold winners’ medals around their necks and alternately holding the World Cup trophy aloft.

The most significant and memorable aspect of this global victory is that Messi, the nation’s most famous star, finally lifted the world cup trophy, completing his legacy.

Although he plans to play a few more games for the national team, Messi, 35, declared that the World Cup final would be his final game.