World Cup winners return home as heroes

The World Cup winners are returning home as heroes as captain Lionel Messi led the team to their victory. The team returned home to Argentina in the early hours yesterday from Qatar to a welcome home party in the country’s capital.

Argentina sealed the championship after beating France in Sunday’s epic final. The tense match saw the team win in a 3-3 draw over 120 minutes of drama for their first world title in 36 years. Messi scored two times in the final and was the first player to come off of the plane, holding the World Cup with coach Lionel Scaloni beside him.

According to Thai PBS World, the plane even made the memorable welcome with Messi’s photo emblazoned on its tail with the words: “one team, one country, one dream” on its side. The players made their exit from the plane while walking on a red carpet to a white, open-top bus. The bus had the words “world champions” and three stars on its side as the World Cup theme song “Muchachos” blared from its speakers.

Messi, 35, finally achieved his record-breaking career by helping his team to football’s biggest achievement. He also made the journey quite memorable by scoring a first-half penalty and another in extra time.

Meanwhile, France’s players were given a welcoming reception by fans in central Paris on Monday after they returned from Qatar. They appeared on the balcony of the Crillon Hotel overlooking the Place de la Concorde. They landed at the capital’s Charles de Gaulle airport just before 8pm and went directly to the centre of Paris where they greeted fans and thanked them for their support.

Both teams will be remembered for the captivating final that will go down as one of the most controversial World Cup matches in history.