Chaos in Buenos Aires as huge crowd forces Argentina victory parade to be completed by helicopter
Argentina’s triumphant World Cup-winning squad were forced to complete their victory parade in Buenos Aires with a helicopter flyover after a crowd of millions brought their open-top bus to a standstill, with reports suggesting 18 people were injured in the celebrations and footage appearing to show one fan diving on to the squad’s bus.
The streets of the capital were thronged by millions of ecstatic supporters, with the homecoming of Lionel Messi and company having been declared a national holiday following their thrilling penalty shootout win against France in Qatar. But the planned journey, reportedly set to take in 50 miles after departure from the Argentinian Football Association grounds, was halted before its end point on security advice.
While that could have had something to do with the vast number of people crowded around the Obelisk, one of the most famous monuments in Buenos Aires, video emerged on social media which seemed to capture a safety breach as a reveller lowered himself from an overpass and dropped on to the open deck occupied by players and staff. One clip appeared to show a fan landing among the passengers, with a second attempting to follow suit only to fall backwards off the back of the bus and into the crowd.
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A statement from AFA president, Claudio Tapia, indicated the squad were upset not to continue their journey as intended, rather than spooked by events on the route. “They do not let us arrive to greet all the people who were in the Obelisk, the same security agencies that escorted us do not allow us to move forward,” said Tapia. “A thousand apologies on behalf of all the champion players. A pity.”
Television images showed huge crowds waiting around the Obelisk, while many more took over highways to try to catch a glimpse of their returning champions in one of the largest turnouts in history, estimated by local media to have reached 4 million people.
Paulo Dybala (left) and Nahuel Molina (right) inside one of the helicopters that completed Argentina’s World Cup-winning victory parade. Photograph: Matias Baglietto/AFP/Getty Images
“It’s crazy, it’s incredible, it’s the best thing that can happen to you in life,” said Matias Gomez, 25, a metalworker. “It is an enormous joy to see all these happy people, all together, one with the other, holding hands, giving each other hugs, kisses. We are all one today.”
The team had arrived in the early hours of Tuesday at Ezeiza airport where, despite it being around 3am local time, thousands were waiting with banners, flags and flares, and howling in joy after 36 years since the country’s last World Cup victory.
By around midday, millions had already congregated in downtown Buenos Aires, with major roads shut down for the parade. People held up banners of Lionel Messi and the late Diego Maradona, played instruments or climbed lampposts or bus stops.
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Lionel Messi holds the World Cup, flanked by Argentina’s coach Lionel Scaloni, as they get off the plane in Buenos Aires. Photograph: Marcelo Endelli/Getty Images
The capital has been in party mode since the dramatic victory against France, which has helped to mask economic woes in the South American nation battling one of the world’s highest inflation rates. The victory in a penalty shootout made the country world champions for the first time since Maradona hoisted the trophy in 1986 and for the third time in total.
As the open-top bus snaked through the city, players danced and cheered with fans who circled the vehicle. Police were having to hold people back to allow the bus to move forward on its slow journey towards the centre of town. But eventually they could go no further.
Messi has burnished his reputation as one of the world’s greatest players in the game’s history with the win on Sunday. He has said it was his last match in the World Cup, though he plans to play a few more games for the national side.