And another superlative: a historic number of more than four million people is standing alone in Buenos Aires and welcomes Alviceleste like a champion. They want to see the World Cup. Most must glimpse it in the sky.
The parasol blocks the view from the balcony of the government palace, the Casa Rosada. He has to go. Thus, the person in charge 20 meters away is sung until he knocks him down. It’s short Tuesday just before 4pm in Plaza de Mayo. People are waiting for the world champion. The building is decorated, the sun is beating down on the clear blue sky, towers of loudspeakers are erected. Everything seems ready for a reception like 36 years ago, when Diego Maradona presented the World Cup to Argentina.
Lourdes Reyna and Gabriela Rios, in front of the Government Palace in Buenos Aires
(Photo: Roland Peters)
“We’ve been here since 7 am, we were at the obelisk first,” says 23-year-old Lourdes Reyna. “I never experienced Argentina as world champions,” she says, moved and audibly fighting back tears. Beside her is Gabriela Rios, 45 years old. “I saw the previous title as a child, in 1986. The day is branded in my memory.” Now she has brought her son, who was traumatized by the 2014 final.
The ecstasy that gripped the 45 million Argentines after Sunday’s penalty shootout has not subsided. The government had summarily declared a day off to collect the trophy. More than 4 million people are in transit in Buenos Aires and on the route to the selection camp, the Argentine media writes that there have never been so many people on the streets in the country’s history. When democracy returned in 1983, less than half were.
The Redeemer is coming
The team will make a circuit, including Calle 9 de Julio, in the center of Buenos Aires, which is about a fifteen minute walk from the government palace, passing by the obelisk. But plans are constantly changing. Everywhere there are people, people, people in sky blue and white, running along the highways, squeezing through the wide streets, sitting on the lamps, on the verandas and on the surrounding roofs, dancing, lighting canes, drums mixing. whether with songs. Maradona, wearing an Arab hat, looks out at the crowd.
A little off the beaten path, retailers sell T-shirts with Lionel Messi’s “What are you looking at, idiot” slogan and T-shirts with the third star; a small replica of the World Cup trophy costs 500 pesos, about 1.20 euros, a large one ten times as much. From the art engravings, Messi looks like a savior or an apostle, or in him Diego Maradona, with whom he stands before the pantheon of the gods. The two can be seen on a huge mural on a corner. The color shines fresh.
Messi and the others leave at noon, but their open-top bus drags along, slowed down by crowds eager to experience a piece of history. In the city center, people can be informed about what is happening by acquaintances and relatives who are sitting at home in front of the television screen – if they have little access to the Internet, which is completely overwhelmed by the information load. It’s probably the most frequently asked question that day: where is the trophy? The search for the answer turns into a treasure hunt.
Two brothers are sitting in the shade of the central flowerbed, drinking Fernet Branca with Cola and taking their time. “We wanted to see the players, but it seems that they changed the route”, says Daiana Pandiella, 32 years old, “but it doesn’t matter, we are world champions!”, and laughs from the bottom of her face. “There are many differences in this country, but football is what unites us,” adds his younger brother, Nahuel Peralta. Many Argentines are doing poorly economically, so a reason to be happy with the title is badly needed.
Fighter planes and Messi in the sky
Nahuel Peralta and Daiana Pandiella are grateful for the relief of problems.
(Photo: Roland Peters)
Suddenly, four war planes sweep down the parade street and perform maneuvers around the huge image of Evita Perón that is attached to the façade of the Ministry of Social Affairs: Later, it was said in the media that it was a tribute to the world champions. Meanwhile, the team slowly breaks up the crowd. At some point, the bus cuts off and the team covered half of the 30 kilometers to the epicenter of the celebrations in about four hours.
Those responsible doubt that the bus will make it through. Autobahn madness takes the world champions to the sky. They are now boarding helicopters. When the helicopters appear at the government palace, applause breaks out, flags fly, sprayed confetti obscures the view from the balcony. “Come, come sing with me”, they all ask, jumping up and down, “because you’re going to find a friend / hand in hand / with Leo Messi / let’s go until the end”.
Everyone knows that there is a helipad behind the government palace, and the World Cup and the national team have never been so close. But nobody uses it. The helicopters move away again. The Argentine media already suspected that the team would not be seen in the government palace. She wants to avoid her visit having a political dimension.
After endless minutes of waiting, the news from the informants at home arrives: the alviceleste has flown back to the headquarters of the selection. Lourdes Reyna and Gabriela Rios are disappointed, at some point they turn around and leave like so many others. You will not see the team or the trophy here. But at least they could guess Messi in the sky. For there he floated.
(This article was first published on Wednesday, December 21, 2022.)