Thousands of supporters lined the streets of Buenos Aires on Monday to welcome Argentina’s World Cup squad home despite their heartbreaking 1-0 extra-time defeat to Spain in the 2026 final, although captain Lionel Messi was notably absent from the team’s arrival.
Fans braved cold weather and heavy rain to greet Lionel Scaloni’s squad after they landed in the Argentine capital. The players received a red-carpet welcome alongside a military band before boarding an open-top bus and waving to cheering supporters gathered along the route.
The Argentine Football Association had confirmed before the flight that several players would not travel with the squad. Television pictures showed Messi missing from the returning delegation following Sunday’s defeat at MetLife Stadium.
Despite missing out on consecutive World Cup titles, supporters turned the homecoming into a celebration. Many sang, danced and set off fireworks in appreciation of a team that reached a second successive World Cup final.
“This team united us all, and we should be grateful for that. We will always be there for them, rain or shine,” said textile worker Leonardo Barrientos. “I would say thank you to Messi because he gave everything.”
Housewife Marga Ledezma also urged the 39-year-old captain not to retire from international football.
“Argentines will celebrate anyway,” she said. “Thank you to Messi for all the years he made us happy. I hope he doesn’t stop playing for Argentina.”
Maria Ortiz, who attended the welcome with her young son, admitted Spain deserved the victory but remained proud of Argentina’s campaign.
“I’m happy for what the team gave us,” she said.
Messi broke his silence on social media after the defeat, admitting the disappointment remained raw.
“The pain is immense and it’s going to take a long time for this wound to heal,” Messi wrote on Instagram. “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.”
Many supporters also highlighted Argentina’s dramatic 2-1 semi-final victory over England as one of the tournament’s defining moments. Some fans carried banners reading “The Falklands are Argentine”, days after Argentina’s players displayed a similar message following the semi-final, an incident that remains under FIFA investigation.
President Javier Milei announced that Argentina would hold a future public holiday to celebrate the team’s World Cup campaign, although no date has yet been confirmed.
The celebrations followed emotional scenes on Sunday night when thousands gathered around Buenos Aires’ Obelisk after the final, although police later dispersed parts of the crowd following isolated clashes.
