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THE PARADE BUS — Somewhere between four and five million people filled the streets of Buenos Aires Tuesday as Argentina celebrated its World Cup victory over France.
It was the first World Cup win since 1986 for the soccer-loving South American country and the first of superstar Lionel Messi's fabled career. The fans celebrated accordingly, pouring into downtown Buenos Aires Sunday after the win and again Tuesday as the team paraded around town showing off the hard-earned trophy.
This aerial shot of celebrations in Buenos Aires after Argentina's World Cup win 🇦🇷🔥
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) December 19, 2022
(via @alepetra_) pic.twitter.com/GH1iOcdeA5
The crowds got so big and raucous that the team's parade bus got stuck and the players were forced to travel the rest of the way via helicopter.
ESPN FC noted on Twitter that the same amount of people as the entire population of Croatia — third-place finishers at the World Cup with an estimated population of 3.9 million — were in downtown Buenos Aires.
Buenos Aires celebration packed with ~5m people. The Argentina team bus couldn't drive through, so they had to call in helicopters 🤯 pic.twitter.com/Yc5eLUpFDS
— Trung Phan (@TrungTPhan) December 20, 2022
It wasn't just Argentina that celebrated the win, however, as people and nations around the world recognized the crowning achievement for the 35-year-old Messi, whose last vacancy in his trophy case was the World Cup.
NBA player Kyle Lowry wore his jersey to a game, Brazil invited him to leave his footprints in the Hall of Fame of Brazil's famed Maracana Stadium and there were even rumors that Argentina's Central Bank was trying to get his face on the 1,000 peso bill.
Kyle Lowry repped Messi at the Bulls vs. Heat game 🐐 pic.twitter.com/u9cTyoqZjO
— B/R Football (@brfootball) December 21, 2022









