Fans waving Argentine flags gather near the Argentine Football Association (AFA) training camp in Ezeiza, Buenos Aires Province, on July 20, 2026, as they wait for the arrival of Argentina’s national football team from the United States after losing the 2026 FIFA World Cup final. (Photo by TOMAS CUESTA / AFP)
Most of Argentina’s football team landed back home Monday, as thousands of fans waited to welcome them, following their 1-0 loss to Spain in the World Cup final, according to the airport authority.
The Argentine Football Association (AFA) said earlier that some squad members would not be on the flight, and star Lionel Messi was not seen descending from the aircraft in images broadcast on local television.
Coach Lionel Scaloni and the rest of the team were welcomed with a red carpet outside the aircraft and a military band.
Thousands of fans braved the cold and the rain, waiting outside the AFA near the airport to welcome home the players, draped in flags and holding blue-and-white umbrellas to shield them from the drizzle.
