BUENOS AIRES: Argentina's World Cup winners led by captain Lionel Messi returned home from Qatar in the early hours of Tuesday morning ahead of a welcome home party in the nation's capital.
Having beaten France in Sunday's thrilling final, the players will now spend the night at the Argentine Football Association (AFA) training complex near the Ezeiza airport where they arrived in Buenos Aires and where thousands of supporters were waiting to greet them.
They will then begin a tour of the Buenos Aires city center from midday on Tuesday with millions expected out in the streets on what is a public holiday.
"Crowned with glory," read a banner on a newspaper kiosk in Buenos Aires on Monday, while Clarin and La Prensa dailies both sent a huge "Thank you" to Messi and his team-mates for winning the country's third world title, and first in 36 years.
Argentina won the final in Qatar 4-2 on penalties after a rollercoaster 3-3 draw over 120 minutes of unparallelled drama.