Millions of fans thronged the streets of Buenos Aires on Tuesday as Argentina’s men’s national soccer team took a 50-mile victory lap around the capital to celebrate its third World Cup victory.
The team toured the city on an open-top bus flanked by security guards, and players were seen beating drums and sipping viajeros, a local drink that combines Coca-Cola with Fernet, an Italian spirit, downed from a cutoff plastic bottle. So many Argentines turned out to welcome the team, at least four million, according to local media, that the parade was stopped early because the streets were overflowing with people. Some fans threw themselves off bridges to try to get into the open-top bus carrying the players, and one supporter died after falling from a monument downtown during celebrations Sunday night.
The tour ended with team members flying across the city in helicopters instead. The celebrations have been constant since Sunday, when Argentina won its third World Cup title. The night of the victory, more than a million people streamed into Avenida 9 de Julio, in the heart of the capital, chanting songs, blaring car horns and setting off fireworks.
Lionel Messi and his teammates rode an open-top bus toward the Obelisk, and at every step they were surrounded by thousands of fans.
Millions of fans paralyzed Buenos Aires, forcing several changes to the parade route and the team’s eventual abandonment of it.
The national team members took turns holding the trophy, as they sang, drank and waved flags throughout the parade.
