Messi breaks record with most-liked post ever on Instagram

Huge crowds welcome home Messi, Argentina squad as heroes after World Cup victory

Fans swamp highway as victorious players clutching cherished trophy make their way to Buenos Aires; president declares national holiday

  • Argentina's national soccer team captain Lionel Messi (L) holds the FIFA World Cup Trophy alongside Argentina's coach Lionel Scaloni as they step off a plane upon arrival at Ezeiza International Airport after winning the Qatar 2022 World Cup tournament, in Ezeiza, Buenos Aires province, Argentina on December 20, 2022. (Luis ROBAYO / AFP)
    Argentina's national soccer team captain Lionel Messi (L) holds the FIFA World Cup Trophy alongside Argentina's coach Lionel Scaloni as they step off a plane upon arrival at Ezeiza International Airport after winning the Qatar 2022 World Cup tournament, in Ezeiza, Buenos Aires province, Argentina on December 20, 2022. (Luis ROBAYO / AFP)
  • Fans welcome home the players from the Argentine soccer team that won the World Cup after they landed at Ezeiza airport in Buenos Aires, Argentina, December 20, 2022. (Rodrigo Abd/AP)
    Fans welcome home the players from the Argentine soccer team that won the World Cup after they landed at Ezeiza airport in Buenos Aires, Argentina, December 20, 2022. (Rodrigo Abd/AP)
  • Fans wait for the bus with Argentina's soccer players to pass the Obelisk as they celebrate winning the Qatar 2022 World Cup tournament in Buenos Aires on December 20, 2022. (Luis ROBAYO / AFP)
    Fans wait for the bus with Argentina's soccer players to pass the Obelisk as they celebrate winning the Qatar 2022 World Cup tournament in Buenos Aires on December 20, 2022. (Luis ROBAYO / AFP)
  • In this aerial view fans wait for the bus with Argentina's national team soccer players to pass the Obelisk as they celebrate winning the Qatar 2022 World Cup tournament in Buenos Aires on December 20, 2022. (LUIS ROBAYO / AFP)
    In this aerial view fans wait for the bus with Argentina's national team soccer players to pass the Obelisk as they celebrate winning the Qatar 2022 World Cup tournament in Buenos Aires on December 20, 2022. (LUIS ROBAYO / AFP)
  • Argentina's national soccer team players celebrate on board a bus with supporters after winning the Qatar 2022 World Cup tournament as they leave Ezeiza International Airport en route to the Argentine Football Association (AFA) training centre in Ezeiza, Buenos Aires province, Argentina on December 20, 2022. (Tomas CUESTA / AFP)
    Argentina's national soccer team players celebrate on board a bus with supporters after winning the Qatar 2022 World Cup tournament as they leave Ezeiza International Airport en route to the Argentine Football Association (AFA) training centre in Ezeiza, Buenos Aires province, Argentina on December 20, 2022. (Tomas CUESTA / AFP)

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — Thousands of fans lined up in the middle of the night to try to get a glimpse of the Argentina soccer team that won one of the greatest World Cup finals of all time ahead of what is scheduled to be a day of celebrations in Buenos Aires.

Members of the team, led by captain Lionel Messi, were all smiles as they descended from the plane in Ezeiza, right outside Argentina’s capital, shortly before 3 a.m. local time Tuesday onto a red carpet that had been rolled out for the squad.

Messi was the first player from the plane carrying the World Cup, flanked by coach Lionel Scaloni, who put his arm around the captain as they walked past a sign that read, “Thank you, champions.”

The players were welcomed by rock band La Mosca singing “Muchachos,” a song that was written by a fan to the tune of an old song by the band and became a popular unofficial anthem for Argentine fans at the World Cup in Qatar.

The newly crowned champions of the world boarded an open-top bus and several, including Messi, could be seen singing the words to “Muchachos” while they waited for everyone to get on to travel to the headquarters of the Argentine Football Association (AFA).

The bus moved at a snail’s pace as fans, many of whom were waving Argentine flags, swarmed the bus on a highway, eager for a glimpse of the players as law enforcement officers tried to keep them at bay.

Throughout the trip, Messi held on to the trophy as players waved to fans and often sang along with them.

It took the bus around one hour to travel approximately 11 kilometers (6.8 miles) from the airport to AFA headquarters, where the players were welcomed with fireworks.

Argentina’s national soccer team captain Lionel Messi (L) holds the FIFA World Cup Trophy alongside Argentina’s coach Lionel Scaloni as they step off a plane upon arrival at Ezeiza International Airport after winning the Qatar 2022 World Cup tournament in Ezeiza, Buenos Aires province, Argentina on December 20, 2022. (Luis ROBAYO / AFP)

They will sleep at AFA headquarters for a few hours before boarding the bus later Tuesday to the Obelisk, the iconic Buenos Aires landmark that was a sea of people Sunday afternoon after the team won the country’s third World Cup, and its first since 1986.

President Alberto Fernández declared a national holiday Tuesday so the country could celebrate the victory.

The day after the streets of Argentina turned into massive parties following the Sunday victory, many kept a close eye on the flight that brought the players home to celebrate. As the plane got closer to Argentine soil, almost 200,000 people were tracking its path online and news channels gave live coverage of the arrival.

In the afternoon, people started arriving at the airport and outside the AFA headquarters in hopes of getting a glimpse of the team.

Many were already at the Obelisk, seemingly ready to spend the night there to ensure a prime spot for Tuesday’s festivities.

Several players posted photos of the plane ride on social media.

Messi held the World Cup on the plane. Nicolás Tagliafico, meanwhile, posted a photo of the World Cup buckled into an airplane seat as if it were just another passenger.

As of early Tuesday morning there were no official plans for Fernández, or any other political leaders, to take part in the celebrations despite earlier rumors that the players would go to Government House, which was offered up for the celebrations, according to Security Minister Aníbal Fernández.

The World Cup and the success of the Messi-led squad has brought much-needed good news for a country that has been stuck in economic doldrums for years, is suffering one of the world’s highest inflation rates and where almost four in 10 people live in poverty.

Fans welcome home the players from the Argentine soccer team that won the World Cup after they landed at Ezeiza airport in Buenos Aires, Argentina, December 20, 2022. (Rodrigo Abd/AP)

Fernández retweeted several messages of congratulations for the World Cup victory from other world leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“Thank you for this greeting President Putin,” Fernández wrote on Twitter after a telephone call with the Russian leader. “Let the happiness that today unites Argentina with so many countries in the world serve as an example: Our societies need unity and peace.”

Messi takes Instagram record

Squad leader Messi managed to add another record to his already considerable list, this time by creating the most-liked post ever on social media website Instagram.

On Monday the player published a series of photos of himself holding the World Cup and of the team celebrating their victory. By Tuesday, the post had received over 61 million likes, smashing the previous record held by a picture of an egg.

An account called world-record egg in 2019 posted a picture of an egg and urged social media users to help make it the most liked post ever, in what was believed to be a protest against celebrity culture and in particular, a post by reality star Kylie Jenner that had garnered 18 million likes. The egg eventually scored over 56 million likes. The BBC later revealed that the egg was posted to promote a mental health campaign.

As for Messi, in addition to his Instagram record, he also has the most World Cup Man of the Match awards (11), most World Cup appearances as captain (19) and is the first person to assist a goal in five different World Cup tournaments.

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