“Make December 20 a national holiday.” It was a call from many Argentines on social media. Everyone wants to be there today when Messi will show off the World Cup after noon. The country is in full euphoria. Even the Argentine stock market went up yesterday, the result of a wave of joy that positively shakes the whole country.
After the final, it is estimated that more than a million mad Argentines took to the streets in the capital alone. That will probably be no different today. Governments expect so many people wanting to catch a glimpse of their winners that the buses that normally travel along the highway to the center of Buenos Aires will be diverted.
© Tom Dieusaert
On the radar
It is logical that Lionel Messi also very much desired to set foot on land in his South American homeland as soon as possible, as he made clear before leaving. “I want to be in Argentina to see how crazy it is. I want them to wait for me, I can’t wait to go there and have fun with them,” said the captain and great Argentinian hero – and (demi) god. The Argentines also wanted to embrace their world champions as soon as possible. The plane with which the team flew back to Argentina was followed online on the radar en masse. The players’ social media posts have since been viewed millions of times. This includes photos of players holding the cup as if it were their firstborn and videos of the onboard celebration.
© AP
The flight to Argentina may have taken more than twenty hours, including a stopover in Europe, but according to the images, there was just little time for the players to rest. It seems that high in the sky they were already preparing for the revelry that awaits them.
“Guys! Now all we have to do is celebrate, we won the third, we are world champions! And we tell Diego to rest in peace, for all eternity.” The elated world champions themselves changed the text of boysa popular football song in Argentina.
“Argentina, here we come”, an enthusiastic president of the Argentine football federation Claudio Tapia wrote on Twitter.
© ZUMA Press
Maradona
The arrival of the Albiceleste, the national team, was scheduled in the wee hours of today at the time of writing. According to local media, the world champions will spend a short night in the training center of the football federation after landing.
Messi & co will not be received in the presidential palace or ‘the Pink House’. Two years ago, Maradona lay in state there and that led to major riots, so that the funeral had to be closed earlier.
The football federation already gave a small tip of what the supporters can expect today. “The world champions will come to the Obelisk in the afternoon to celebrate the world title with the fans.” The team will probably also drive an open double-decker among the crowds. A real scenario had not yet been fully written out, but can you really prepare such a celebration of a world champion in a football-crazy country, is the question. But that there will be celebration is a certainty in the country that has long been burdened by severe economic crises. Now all that remains is to celebrate. Now all that remains is to celebrate. The new text of boys says it clearly.
