New Delhi: After Argentina’s defeat in the FIFA World Cup, the team received a grand welcome at the airport with a red carpet and a band performing. Thousands gathered outside the Argentine Football Association (AFA) office near Ministro Pistarini International Airport in Ezeiza.
The enthusiastic fans were holding white and blue umbrellas and wearing the No. 10 jersey of their team captain, Lionel Messi, reported NDTV. But the 39-year-old was not present with the squad, the report states. The AFA had already declared that several team members would not be travelling. Messi was among them.
Messi’s club, Inter Miami, will play its first match in the Major League Soccer season on July 23. According to some reports, Messi decided to stay back in the US to focus on his mental and physical recovery. But, later he reportedly arrived in a private jet. Messi is expected to rejoin Inter Miami late July or early August.