Argentina's FIFA World Cup-winning superstars have reached home and they were given a welcome by the football-crazy fans which is fitting for the world champions. As expected there was an open bus parade for the champions in the capital Buenos Aires, where Lionel Messi and his teammates acknowledged the praise from the fans.
Argentina won their third World Cup title on Sunday night after beating defending champions France in what has been termed by many as the best final ever. Both teams were locked 3-3 after extra-time with the Argentinians prevailing in the penalty shootout. Messi scored a brace for Argentina while Kylian Mbappe netted a hat-trick for France.
Watch Video of Argentina players being given rousing welcome at home
Having beaten France in Sunday's thrilling final, the players will now spend the night at the Argentine Football Association (AFA) training complex near the Ezeiza airport where they arrived in Buenos Aires and where thousands of supporters were waiting to greet them.
They will then head to the iconic Obelisk monument for a tour of the Buenos Aires city center from midday on Tuesday with millions expected out in the streets on what is a public holiday.
"We will be here all night and tomorrow as well," student Ayrton Kerdocas, 25, told AFP outside the airport.
"Tomorrow we are not working, we won't do anything and we'll go directly to the Obelisk with Argentina."
Argentina won the final in Qatar 4-2 on penalties after a rollercoaster 3-3 draw over 120 minutes of unparalleled drama for their first world title in 36 years.
Messi, who scored twice in the final, was the first player to emerge from the plane, holding the World Cup aloft, with coach Lionel Scaloni right behind him.
Forward Julian Alvarez, a revelation in Qatar with his four goals, was one of the next players out of the Aerolinas Argentinas Airbus A330.
A picture of Messi was emblazoned on the plane's tail with the words: "one team, one country, one dream" on its side.
The players made their way from the plane along a red carpet straight to a white open-top bus with the words "world champions" and three stars on its side as their World Cup theme song "Muchachos" by ska band La Mosca blared.
(With AFP inputs)