In a display of unwavering national pride that defied wet, frigid weather and the bitter disappointment of a World Cup final defeat, thousands of Argentine supporters turned out in force on Monday to greet their returning national football team – a squad that arrived without their legendary captain Lionel Messi.
Four years after millions of Argentines flooded city streets to celebrate the team’s historic 2022 World Cup title, this homecoming was never supposed to end this way. Yet even with a 1-0 final loss to Spain denying Argentina a rare back-to-back championship, celebrations erupted across Buenos Aires, where fans danced, sang traditional chants, and set off fireworks to honor the players’ run to the final.
The Argentine Football Association had pre-warned that several squad members would not be on the inbound flight, and local television footage confirmed Messi was not among the players who disembarked. When head coach Lionel Scaloni and the rest of the roster stepped off the plane, they were greeted by a red carpet welcome and a performance from a military band, before boarding an open-top bus that paraded through crowds of cheering, frenzied fans lining the route.
For many fans, the final result did nothing to erode their support for the team and its iconic skipper. “Argentines will celebrate anyway,” said Marga Ledezma, a 36-year-old housewife. Ledezma thanked Messi for decades of joy he brought to the nation, and pleaded with him not to retire from international football, even as she acknowledged that the 39-year-old’s body may no longer allow him to continue competing at the highest level. Responding to international criticism of Argentina’s physical play and accusations of poor sportsmanship during the final, Ledezma pushed back: “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.”
Many supporters pointed to the team’s 2-1 semi-final victory over England as the real highlight of their tournament, a win that carried extra political weight amid the long-running, unresolved sovereignty dispute between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the Falkland Islands. Some fans carried banners reading “The Falklands are Argentine” during Monday’s welcome, and FIFA has already launched an investigation into the Argentine squad for displaying the same slogan on a banner immediately after their semi-final win, a move that sparked sharp condemnation from British officials.
Across the crowd, fans echoed the sentiment that the team’s achievements deserved celebration regardless of the final outcome. “This team united us all, and we should be grateful for that. We will always be there for them, rain or shine. I would say thank you to Messi and that he gave it his all,” said Leonardo Barrientos, a 36-year-old textile workshop employee. Maria Ortiz, a 28-year-old who brought her two-year-old child to the welcome, acknowledged that Spain earned the title, but said she remained grateful for the joy the Argentine team delivered throughout the tournament.
Messi, for his part, opened up about his heartbreak in an Instagram post Monday. “The pain is immense and it’s going to take a long time for this wound to heal,” he wrote, alongside a personal photo. Still, he acknowledged the squad’s historic achievement: “I’ll also hold on to all the good memories. Today it’s hard to appreciate what we achieved, but this squad reached two consecutive World Cup finals.”
Argentine President Javier MileI has moved to honor the team’s run, announcing that a future public holiday will be declared on a date agreed with the squad to celebrate their World Cup performance, though no further details on the timing have been released.
Even before the team landed back in Buenos Aires, thousands of crestfallen but dedicated fans gathered at the Obelisco, the capital’s iconic traditional celebration hub, for hours of gatherings Sunday night. The event mostly remained peaceful, but late in the evening brief clashes broke out, prompting police to deploy water cannons, tear gas, and rubber bullets to disperse crowds. Police sources confirmed that 15 people were taken into custody following the unrest.