From the Lusail lawn to the plane back home: the intimacy of the champion’s party, with the Milanese players and the Cup at the center

There are hugs. Hugs are everywhere. Argentina emerged as world champions and the players have their well-deserved never-ending party that has just begun Gonzalo Montiel He scored the fourth penalty, which sealed the series against France. Among many arms that intertwine, there are those of Lionel Messi Y angel of mary, the friends of the old guard, the tireless perseverers, the wall breakers. They have the Chalice in their hands, they look at it with eyes of unconditional love. Suddenly they turn it over and read that the names of all the winning teams of each edition are engraved on the base. They look at each other in surprise. They don’t fall yet that they are now part of that gigantic story.

Leo desperately searches for his family in a high box in the stadium and waves them down. after a while they appear Antonela, Thiago, Mateo and Ciro cry all together. And with them, all the family members of the team who fill the field and join that Arabian sea of ​​eternal hugs.

The celebration was about to begin. From there to locker room. With Messi always leading with the Cup, his teammates followed suit. For all sides. The captain climbs onto the dressing table. He is the center of everything. There are jumping, singing, crying, laughing. Footballers film, take photos. They keep memories that will be indelible.

Sergio Aguero It is an important part of the festivities. Even Kun, who retired for an arrhythmia a year ago, feels like a champion, of course. And he commands total delirium together with his friend Leo. A couple of bottles of sodas and beers are uncorked. A couple of cigars are lit, NBA style.

Nobody takes a bath. The sweat of glory doesn’t bother you, it’s the best of perfumes at that moment. Everyone already has the T-shirt with the writing “World champions” on the back, which on the chest adds the third star above the AFA shield and also the golden patch of the champion.

A) Yes, on the legs and overflowing with happiness, Messi once again takes possession of the Cup, after having loaned it for a while to others, and acts as a locomotive for the little train which sets off screaming and trotting through the mixed area. They parade and shake the journalists who record the entire sequence. They stop before leaving and dedicate a little song to him while they foam flies everywhere: “And I don’t care what those c… reporters say, the f… who gave birth to them.”

Already at the top of the micro convertible that would take them along the boulevard of Lusail, there were other dedications: to “le brazuca” Y “a minute of silence, for Mbappé who is dead”.

Papu Gómez wore Julián Alvarez’s Spiderman mask. Toto Martínez staged the hype. Others filmed the madness of people on their mobile phones en route to Qatar University, which acted as an albiceleste bunker during this month.

The reception was there with the grandstand hit of this World Cup, but updated: “We have already won the third, we are already World Champions!”. It was already after two in the morning. The return flight, scheduled for 3, must have been delayed.

Players ate schnitzel with fries with the World Cup as the centerpiece. Between bites, they couldn’t take their eyes off him. It was one of the few moments where Messi he freed her.

After He took it to his room and left it on the bedside table., calmly, admiring her as she packed her suitcase. Everyone’s rooms were little bowling alleys. A different cumbia came out of each one.

At pure pace, the national team prepared to return home. They had already seen some videos of the party everywhere in Argentina. And they started discussing among themselves what it will be like when they land in Ezeiza this Monday night.

But before leaving, they relaxed. Naturally no one slept even half an hour. Some have even made a challenge on Play Station, like Cuti Romero and Licha Martínez. Another took the opportunity to reply to messages and thank them for the congratulations received.

At 6.40 in the morning, Qatar time, the champion team took off on two planes: one with the whole delegation and another loaded with relatives and friends. The Cup, obviously, in the hands of the captain.

Doha, Qatar. Special delivery.