BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AFP) — Thousands of fans braved the cold and rain Monday to give a rapturous welcome to the Argentine football squad who landed back home without star Lionel Messi, after their World Cup final loss to Spain.

It was not the homecoming Argentines had hoped for, four years after millions celebrated their team’s tournament victory in 2022, but fresh scenes of joyful chaos filled the street as they danced, sang and set off fireworks to thank the players.

The Argentine Football Association (AFA) said earlier that some squad members would not be on the flight, and iconic team captain Messi was not seen descending from the aircraft in images broadcast on local television.

Coach Lionel Scaloni and the rest of the team were welcomed with a red carpet outside the aircraft and a military band.

They then boarded a bus, waving to frenzied fans along the way.

Despite falling short of a second straight championship, “Argentines will celebrate anyway,” said housewife Marga Ledezma. The 36-year-old thanked Messi for “all the years he made us happy,” urging him not to quit playing for Argentina, but admitting this would be difficult as he was 39.

Argentina lost 1-0 to Spain in a game that has been criticised in international media for a plethora of fouls and displays of poor sportsmanship from the Albicelestes.

“I think they criticise us because we know what it’s like to suffer, that we get up, we fall down again, and we keep going,” said Ledezma.

Many fans highlighted that the real victory for Argentina was the 2-1 semi-final win over England, played against the backdrop of a lingering dispute between the countries over the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands.

Some carried flags declaring “The Falklands are Argentine.”

FIFA is investigating the Argentine team after players held up a banner bearing the phrase after their win against England, which sparked a backlash from London.

– ‘The pain is immense’ –

“This team united us all, and we should be grateful for that. We will always be there for them, rain or shine. I would say thank you to Messi and that he gave it his all,” said Leonardo Barrientos, 36, who works in a textile workshop.

Maria Ortiz, 28, came to welcome the team with her two-year-old, and said Spain “deserved the win” but she was “happy for what the team gave us.”

Messi wrote on Instagram on Monday that “the pain is immense and it’s going to take a long time for this wound to heal.”

“I’ll also hold on to all the good memories,” he wrote alongside a photo of himself. “Today it’s hard to appreciate what we achieved, but this squad reached two consecutive World Cup finals.”

With the tournament over, President Javier Milei announced that a future date agreed with the team would be set as a public holiday to celebrate their performance in the World Cup. No further details have been announced.

While crestfallen after the loss, thousands of Argentines headed to the traditional celebration point at the Obelisk in Buenos Aires, where they partied for hours on Sunday evening.

Late at night, brief clashes broke out at the monument, and police used water cannons, tear gas, and rubber bullets to disperse revellers. Fifteen people were detained, according to police sources.