After a hard-fought run to the 2024 men’s World Cup final that ended in a 1-0 extra-time defeat to Spain, global soccer icon Lionel Messi has returned to his home country of Argentina for a much-needed period of rest and personal time. The Argentina national team captain’s private aircraft touched down just outside his native Rosario at 6:27 a.m. on Tuesday, after a direct flight from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where the tournament concluded over the weekend.
Hundreds of devoted fans turned out in the early hours, gathering as early as 3:30 a.m. to welcome their hero home. Many brought national flags and hand-painted welcome signs, eager to catch even a quick glimpse of the star. Two young fans wearing Argentina’s iconic Albiceleste jerseys drew widespread attention for their heartfelt messages, one of which read: “Messi: You’re a legend. Thank you for bringing joy to our hearts. A whole country loves you!”
Despite the warm crowd turnout, Messi opted to avoid a public appearance to maintain privacy for his family. Fans only got a fleeting look at the black SUV that met the group on the airport tarmac, which transported the soccer star and his family to their private gated community in Funes, a quiet town located roughly 185 miles north of the Argentine capital Buenos Aires.
Messi traveled back to Argentina accompanied by his wife Antonela Roccuzzo and their three children, who joined him for the full duration of the North American-based World Cup tournament, supporting him from the stands at every match. Waiting for Messi upon his arrival in Rosario was his 68-year-old father Jorge Messi, who has been undergoing ongoing medical treatment for an undisclosed health condition; the Messi family first confirmed his father’s treatment schedule during the World Cup competition.
This World Cup run marked a historic milestone for the 36-year-old forward, marking his third appearance in a World Cup final following runs in 2014 and 2022. He finished the 2024 tournament as runner-up for the Golden Boot award, netting eight goals throughout the competition, just two goals behind tournament top scorer Kylian Mbappé of France. With this result, Mbappé now holds the record for most all-time goals in men’s World Cup history with 22, moving one goal ahead of Messi’s career total.
The rest of Argentina’s 26-man World Cup squad, led by head coach Lionel Scaloni, arrived back in Argentina a day earlier, touching down at Buenos Aires’ Ezeiza Airport on a chartered flight on Monday, one day after the 1-0 defeat in East Rutherford, New Jersey that saw Spain claim the title via a late extra-time goal from Ferran Torres.
Following his short break in Argentina, Messi is scheduled to return to his club side Inter Miami in late July or early August to resume play in the ongoing Major League Soccer season.