Thousands of fans braved the cold and rain on Tuesday morning to give the Argentine national football team a warm welcome upon their return from the United States without Lionel Messi, their captain and legend, despite the disappointment of losing the 2026 World Cup final and surrendering the world title to Spain. This homecoming was not what Argentines had hoped for, four years after millions celebrated their team's victory in the 2022 tournament, but new scenes of boisterous joy filled the streets as fans danced, sang, and set off fireworks to thank the players. The Argentine Football Association announced that some team members would not be on the flight, and historical captain Messi did not appear while disembarking in images broadcast by local television. Coach Lionel Scaloni and the rest of the team were greeted with a red carpet outside the plane with a musical greeting from a military band, then they boarded a bus and waved to excited fans along the way. Leonardo Barrientos, 36, who works in a textile factory, said: 'This team united us all, and we must be grateful for that. We will always be by their side, in rain or shine. I want to say thank you to Messi, he did everything he could.' Maria Ortiz, 28, came to welcome the team with her two-year-old child, and said that Spain 'deserved to win,' adding: 'I am happy with what the team gave us.'