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Argentina's World Cup heroes airlifted in helicopters as street party overflows
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General view of the Obelisco as Argentina fans are seen ahead of the victory parade on Dec. 20, 2022. (Reuters/Agustin Marcarian)
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rgentina's World Cup heroes had to abandon an open-top bus parade in Buenos Aires on Tuesday as millions of ecstatic fans flooded onto the streets and brought the city to a standstill, with Lionel Messi and his team mates whisked into helicopters to complete the celebrations.
The players who were triumphant in Sunday's World Cup final in Qatar were unable to reach the central Obelisco monument as planned because the route was completely blocked by the heaving crowd, estimated by local media at over four million people.
With social media footage showing some fans trying to jump onto the team's bus when it passed under a bridge, the scheduled eight-hour journey was cut short due to security fears. The players were transferred from their parade bus and into helicopters.
"The world champions are flying over the entire route in helicopters because it became impossible to continue on land due to the explosion of joy," presidential spokeswoman Gabriela Cerruti wrote on Twitter.
Television images showed people all over the city, including those waiting around the Obelisco and on surrounding highways trying to catch a glimpse of their returning champions.
"It's crazy, it's incredible, it's the best thing that can happen to you in life," said 25-year-old metalworker Matias Gomez.
"It is an enormous joy to see all these happy people, all together, one with the other, holding hands, giving each other hugs, kisses. We are all one today."
The team had arrived in the early hours of Tuesday at Ezeiza airport. Despite it being around 3 a.m/ local time, thousands were waiting with banners, flags and flares and howling with joy after Messi and his team mates ended the country's 36-year wait to win the World Cup.
By around midday millions had already congregated in downtown Buenos Aires, with major roads shut down for the parade. People held up banners of Messi and late icon Diego Maradona, played instruments or climbed lamp-posts or bus stops.
Roads started to clear after the players took to the sky in helicopters, with some people left disappointed not to see the team.
The Argentine capital has been in party mode since the dramatic victory over France in Sunday's final in Qatar, which has helped mask economic woes in the South American nation battling one of the world's highest inflation rates.
The penalty shootout victory made the country world champions for the first time since Maradona hoisted the trophy in 1986 and the third in total.
The government made Tuesday a national holiday to allow fans to celebrate the win.
"I celebrate how the people took to the streets to pay homage to our national team," President Alberto Fernandez said in a post on Twitter. "Millions of Argentines in the streets, in a uncommon December, which will remain forever in our hearts."
