Argentine team comes home minus Messi following World Cup final defeat

On July 20, 2026, fans gathered near the Argentine Football Association training camp in Ezeiza, Buenos Aires Province, awaiting the arrival of Argentina's national football team from the United States after their loss in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final.

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Most of the team landed back home on Monday, with thousands of fans waiting to welcome them after their 1-0 loss to Spain in the World Cup final, according to the airport authority.

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The Argentine Football Association had announced that some squad members would not be on the flight, and notable absentees included star player Lionel Messi, who was not seen descending from the aircraft in images broadcast on local television.

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Coach Lionel Scaloni and the rest of the team were given a warm welcome, with a red carpet and a military band greeting them outside the aircraft.

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Thousands of fans braved the cold and rain to wait outside the AFA near the airport, draped in flags and holding blue-and-white umbrellas to shield themselves from the drizzle as they waited to welcome the players home.

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The homecoming was not what Argentines had hoped for, especially after the celebrations four years ago when millions filled the streets to celebrate their team's victory in 2022, but many turned out to thank the team for their performance.

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Housewife Marga Ledezma, 36, was among those who came to show appreciation, thanking Messi for "all the years he made us happy" and urging him not to quit playing for Argentina, saying "Argentines will celebrate anyway".

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Argentina's 1-0 loss to Spain was marked by criticism in international media over numerous fouls and displays of poor sportsmanship from the Albiceleste, with Ledezma responding that "I think they criticize us because we know what it's like to suffer, that we get up, we fall down again, and we keep going".

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Many fans highlighted the 2-1 semi-final win over England as a significant victory, played against the backdrop of a lingering dispute between the countries over the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands.

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Leonardo Barrientos, 36, who works in a textile workshop, expressed gratitude to the team, saying "This team united us all, and we should be grateful for that, we will always be there for them, rain or shine, I would say thank you to Messi and that he gave it his all".

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Maria Ortiz, 28, came to welcome the team with her two-year-old, acknowledging that Spain "deserved the win" but expressing happiness for what the team gave them.

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Despite the loss, thousands of Argentines headed to the traditional celebration point at the Obelisk in Buenos Aires, where they partied for hours on Sunday evening with fireworks and gratitude for their team.

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Late at night, brief clashes broke out at the monument, prompting police to use water cannons, tear gas, and rubber bullets to disperse revellers, resulting in the detention of 15 people, according to police sources.