Argentina return shrouded in gloom as Messi skips subdued homecoming after World Cup heartbreak

Argentina has woken to one of the bleakest mornings in its World Cup history, as the national team heads home without the trophy and without Lionel Messi, in a low-key return that starkly contrasts with the celebrations the country had hoped to relive.

Instead of a triumphant parade, the flight carrying most of Lionel Scaloni’s squad is due to land in Buenos Aires within hours for what is expected to be one of the most sombre homecomings in recent memory.

The reigning champions saw their dream of retaining the World Cup evaporate in the final, turning what was supposed to be a journey of jubilation into a quiet, painful return marked by disappointment and exhaustion.

Messi to fly to Miami, not Buenos Aires

Messi will be the most notable absentee from the official delegation.

Rather than travelling back with his team-mates, the captain has chosen to remain in the United States and will fly directly to Miami, where he lives following his move to Major League Soccer.

He is not alone in opting out of the official flight home. According to the Argentine Football Association, nine other players have also decided against returning to Argentina with the rest of the squad.

Those players are Rodrigo De Paul, Enzo Fernandez, Julian Alvarez, Giuliano Simeone, Geronimo Rulli, Nico Paz, Nahuel Molina and Lautaro Martinez.

Spanish newspaper Marca reports that they have chosen to head straight either to their clubs to prepare for the new season or to begin their summer holidays, rather than take part in any form of homecoming in Buenos Aires.

Their decisions underscore the extent of the deflation within the camp after coming so close to defending the title they won four years ago.

Government scraps plans for public celebration

In a further sign of the national mood, Argentine media say the government has abandoned any idea of staging a mass public celebration to welcome the team back.

Instead, Monday’s reception will be restricted to a brief official ceremony at Ezeiza International Airport, on the outskirts of Buenos Aires.

Reports say the players will be greeted on the tarmac by security forces and fire engines in a formal protocol reception, but there will be no open-top bus, no large-scale gathering and no orchestrated festivities.

A senior source inside the presidential palace, quoted by local outlets, said that the possibility of a popular celebration had been “completely ruled out” following the loss in the final and the downbeat atmosphere gripping the country.

The decision reflects a conscious move to avoid scenes that might jar with the prevailing sense of national disappointment.

Players keen to move on after draining campaign

According to those same reports, there was little appetite among the squad themselves for big celebrations.

The players, who have been on the road and under intense pressure for weeks, are said to have asked for a quiet return and time to rest once the tournament concluded.

Many are expected to slip quickly into holiday mode or rejoin their clubs to resume pre-season, rather than embark on a new round of emotional public appearances.

The muted response stands in stark contrast to the euphoric scenes that flooded the streets of Buenos Aires and cities across Argentina when the team last lifted the World Cup.

This time, the chapter closes in a very different tone: no nationwide parties, no sea of sky-blue and white on the avenues, only a subdued final act to a campaign that had promised so much.

For millions of Argentines who had dared to believe in back-to-back world titles, the end of this World Cup will be remembered not for joy, but for the lingering feeling of what might have been.