Argentina's World Cup winners arrive home to hero's welcome

Thousands welcomed the new world champions home to Buenos Aires.

OVERDUE BUS: Argentina's players celebrating on board a bus with supporters. Picture: TOMAS CUESTA/AFP via Getty Images)

Thousands of ecstatic fans gave Argentina's football squad a hero's welcome in Buenos Aires in the early hours before dawn on Tuesday after the plane carrying Lionel Messi and his World Cup-winning team mates touched down at Ezeiza airport.

The Argentine capital has been in party mode since their dramatic victory over France in Sunday's final in Qatar, which gave the country its first World Cup win since Diego Maradona hoisted the trophy 36 years ago.