After 36 years, Argentina’s national team celebrated its third World Cup title. The country’s citizens then began to march in the streets.
People lined up in front of iconic monuments and squares in various cities across the country. Fans traveled to the Flag Monument in the city of Rosario, where Lionel Messi hails from. In the capital of Argentina, the crowd danced through narrow avenues lined with tall structures.
In the western part of Buenos Aires, thousands of people gathered in Centenario Park to watch the match on a large screen. Everyone then decided to head to the Obelisk.
When Gonzalo Montiel’s penalty kick went into the net following the country’s victory over France, fans were euphoric.
For Elsa Diaz, a 70-year-old handywoman, the journey to the Obelisk was a pilgrimage she made following the country’s first World Cup title in 1978. Her daughter joined her for the walk.
Even though the roads were jammed and the public transportation system shut down, many people decided to walk. One of them was Sergio Gutiérrez, a 46-year-old drugstore worker. He and his family traveled down Corrientes Avenue.
In Argentina, every woman who looked like she might be a grandmother was serenaded with “Abuela, la, la, la, la, la.” a chant that became a rallying cry during the World Cup. The chant, the Spanish word for “grandmother,” started in Buenos Aries after a victory. A group of young people sang it to an older woman wrapped in a national flag.
People from the country expressed their joy as they walked through the streets. They cheered and waved their national flags while others danced and sang along to the various songs played during the procession.
The crowd began to grow as the Obelisk appeared. Some people danced on top of an abandoned bus, while others climbed a building to reach its roof. In another part of the city, men swung from light poles.
The procession ended at the Republic Plaza, filled with people celebrating in every direction. Hundreds of thousands of individuals waved flags, and fireworks erupted above the area.
The people of Argentina displayed their passion for their national soccer team by singing the national anthem multiple times.