By AFP

This story was first published on 20 Jul 2026.

The team's return to Buenos Aires came amid a mix of disappointment and pride among the nation's football faithful.

Thousands of Argentines lined the streets to greet their football team, which returned without legendary captain Lionel Messi and several other players after their World Cup final defeat to Spain in the United States.

The Argentinian Football Association (AFA) said on Monday that some squad members would not be on the flight, and 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 training complex near the Ezeiza international airport to welcome home the players, draped in flags and holding blue-and-white umbrellas to shield them from the drizzle.

It was not the return that Argentinians had dreamed of, four years after millions flooded the streets to celebrate their team's 2022 victory, but many still came out to express gratitude for the team's efforts.

A fan waves a flag bearing images of Argentina's forward Lionel Messi near the Argentine Football Association (AFA) training camp in Ezeiza, Buenos Aires Province, on July 20, 2026, while waiting for the arrival of Argentina's national football team from the United States following its defeat in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final. (Photo by Luis ROBAYO / AFP)
A fan waves a flag bearing images of Messi [Luis Robayo/AFP]

‘Thank you to Messi’

“Argentinians will celebrate anyway,” said Marga Ledezma, 36, who thanked Messi for “all the years he made us happy”, urging him not to quit playing for Argentina.

Argentina lost 1-0 to Spain, failing to win back-to-back World Cups in a match that has been criticised for a plethora of fouls and displays of poor sportsmanship from La Albiceleste.

“I think they criticise us because we know what it’s like to suffer, that we get up, we fall down again, and we keep going,” said Ledezma.

Many fans highlighted that the real victory for Argentina was the 2-1 semifinal win over England, played against the backdrop of a lingering dispute between the countries over the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands.

“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,” said Leonardo Barrientos, 36, who works in a textile workshop.

Maria Ortiz, 28, came to welcome the team with her two-year-old, and said that Spain “deserved the win” but she was “happy for what the team gave us”.

While crestfallen after the loss, thousands of Argentinians 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.

Late at night, brief clashes broke out at the monument, and police used water cannon, tear gas, and rubber bullets to disperse revellers. Fifteen people were detained, according to police sources.

The absence of Messi, who has been the face of Argentine football for decades, marks a potential turning point for the squad. Fans like Marga Ledezma voiced hope that he would continue, but his future remains uncertain given his age. Argentina's next challenge will be to regroup and build a team capable of competing without its iconic captain, while also addressing the disciplinary concerns that marred the final.