Hundreds of people have been waiting since the early hours of this Tuesday (20) in different parts of Buenos Aires for the parade that starts at noon, with Lionel Messi and the rest of the soccer world champion team, to celebrate the conquest of the third Alviceleste star.
The champions spent the night at the Argentine Football Association’s premises, near Ezeiza International Airport, after landing at 2:40 am (Buenos Aires time).
There they had a preview of what is expected to be a grand reception parade for the Cup champions in Qatar.
Since dawn, hundreds of people have gathered along the route that the team will take through the city, mainly at the Obelisk, around which supporters dressed in light blue and white shirts kept arriving.
The Argentine government declared a national holiday this Tuesday to facilitate people’s participation in the big party.
“Good morning”, wrote captain Messi in a post on his social networks. He was in his bed at the AFA (Argentine Football Association) complex, sleeping hugging the Cup like a child with his most precious toy.
security operation
“The team of world champions will depart on Tuesday at noon to the Obelisk to celebrate the world title with the fans. Yes, we are world champions!”, the AFA said on social media.
A security operation with traffic detours and police stations was set up to avoid excesses in the journey that the champions will make from the football federation complex, which includes passing through several areas of Buenos Aires before reaching the center of the capital.
Many fans spent hours in vigil at the various points where the caravan will pass to see the new world champions.
Between drums, Argentine flags and shirts with Messi’s “10” stamp, entire families spent the night trying to find a place to see, even briefly, their idols.
“Today [ontem] we stay all night and tomorrow [hoje] also. Tomorrow [hoje] we don’t work, we don’t do anything and we go straight to the Obelisk,” said Ayrton Kerdocas, a 25-year-old student.
From the early hours of the morning, screens were set up in Plaza de Mayo, decorated with Argentine flags, although it is not confirmed whether the bus with the players will pass through the historic site.
The ‘muchos’ at home
At dawn, and to the rhythm of the popular “Muchachos”, Argentina’s unofficial anthem in this World Cup, sung by the group La Mosca Tsé-Tsé, Messi left the plane lifting the trophy together with coach Lionel Scaloni.
Received with a red carpet on the track, the Argentines boarded a convertible double-decker bus to the team’s training camp, where they spent the night.
A crowd gathered at the side of the road and hindered the vehicle’s progress, which took an hour and fifteen minutes to travel the 11 kilometers between the airport and the AFA facilities.
Despite having spent hours on the plane, the players participated in the celebration by jumping, dancing and singing, while taking turns with the trophy.
With cell phones that lit up the night, fans followed the route of the bus with Argentine flags, flares and fireworks.
“It’s an emotion that can’t be explained. Your heart races. I think it’s the only country that lives like this, with this madness, joy, happiness,” said Alejandra DÃaz, 55, who works at a day care center.
The epicenter of the party
The Obelisk on Avenida 9 de Julio, in Buenos Aires, brought together more than a million people on Sunday and will be the epicenter again this Tuesday.
On Sunday, with one of the biggest spontaneous demonstrations in recent times in the city, no serious incidents were recorded – there were 17 arrests for vandalism and theft.
A huge blue and white procession came from everywhere to the capital. Some walked more than 10 kilometers to reach the Obelisk, unable to reach it by car and with public transport suspended.
It is not clear whether the Argentine national team will visit the Casa Rosada, seat of government, and greet fans from the Plaza de Mayo balcony, as they did in the 1978 and 1986 titles.
The third star comes after a 36-year wait in which Argentina lost two Cup finals, in 1990 and 2014.
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