Thousands of fans gathered in Buenos Aires on Monday evening to give a warm welcome to the Argentina football squad, who arrived home without captain Lionel Messi after their World Cup final loss to Spain.
Coach Lionel Scaloni and 16 of his 26 players returned to the country and were welcomed by a red carpet and military band at the Ezeiza international airport.
Messi opted to travel to Miami after Sunday's final before he flies with his family to his native Rosario to begin a short break.
The veteran forward played in all eight of Argentina's games at the World Cup and is set to take some time off before rejoining Inter Miami CF for the MLS season.
Goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez was among the returning players that boarded an open bus, which took the team and staff to Argentina's Football Association's training base in Ezeiza, known since 2023 as the Lionel Andrés Messi centre.
The players waved to fans along the way while music and a fireworks display greeted the delegation when they arrived.
Argentina president Javier Milei said the players were not in a festive mood.
"Faced with the disappointment of not having won, they decided not to celebrate, but someone had to do something befitting this wonderful team, the greatest in history," Milei said.
"In the last three World Cups, they reached four finals and won one. Given their performance and the values they displayed on the pitch, it had to be done."
Asked why Messi did not fly back with the team to Buenos Aires, Milei said: "Sometimes it's very difficult to grasp the historic significance of what they've achieved.
"We're human beings and we can make decisions based on how we feel. This isn't a moment that feels good. There are no words to describe it. He's a master of the game; he's done unimaginable things. Football fans owe him a debt of gratitude. Let's respect his decision; it's hard to know they were just one step away."
Argentina midfielder Rodrigo De Paul, meanwhile, has hit out at the critics and defended his team's tactics after their World Cup final loss to Spain in extra time.
Argentina were slammed by pundits for their aggressive play.
Scaloni's men were previously criticised for their ill-tempered behaviour during their 2-1 semifinal win over England.
Against Spain, the defending champions were shown five yellow cards and had Enzo Fernández sent off just before the additional period.
- World Cup VAR review: Why Fernandez red card was deserved as Argentina lose World Cup final
- Not even Messi's magic could will Argentina to back-to-back World Cups
- Messi didn't play well in World Cup final vs. Spain: So what? He's still the GOAT
De Paul, who plays with Messi at Inter Miami, wrote on Instagram: "The deepest pain comes from not being able to bring the World Cup trophy back to our country once again, because if anyone deserved to experience that feeling again, it was you.
"But as the hours pass, I'm realizing that the bond you share with this team goes far beyond the trophy itself -- and that is what I'm holding onto to help me get through this moment.
"Today, I look at how many people were waiting for this fall, spreading baseless conspiracy theories throughout the World Cup just to soothe their own pain at not being able to experience what we Argentines were living through -- because our smiles bother them, because our ways get under their skin... But all that did was reaffirm that the passion and love for our jersey can overcome anything.
"It will hurt for a long time, but today, more than ever, I am proud to be Argentine."