Joyful Argentines celebrate on streets of Buenos Aires after epic World Cup final
- The national team beat France on penalties on Sunday. It was the country’s third World Cup title, and the first since 1986
- Many fans were quick to remember Argentina great Diego Maradona, who died two years ago, saying he had something to do with Sunday’s victory
Argentines let loose on Sunday and streets across the country became places of celebration after an epic Fifa World Cup final in which the national team beat France on penalties.
It was the country’s third World Cup title, and the first since 1986.
“I’m very happy, we really deserved this. The team suffered quite a bit, but it recovered as time went on,” said Josefina Villalba, a 55-year-old nanny who joined hundreds of fans at one of the many public plazas where giant screens were set up to watch the long-awaited match.
Millions of Argentine cried, yelled and hugged as they followed the game, which was a roller coaster of emotions.
Throughout the match, many watching in a public square in Buenos Aires chanted the name of captain Lionel Messi, largely considered the world’s greatest football player who had long talked about how he yearned for a World Cup victory.
“I feel an immense happiness in my heart because this is the first World Cup I truly enjoy,” Hector Quinteros, a 34-year-old security guard, said as his eyes welled up with tears. “This always happens. They always make us suffer.”
