by Lionel Messi was steps away from being thrown off the back of an open top bus after returning to Argentina with the World Cup.
Messi and four teammates, including Leandro Paredes and Angel Di Maria, were at the back of the bus in Buenos Aires when it ran under an overhead power line. Atletico Madrid midfielder Rodrigo De Paul spotted the lead a moment beforehand and told his teammates to duck.
The incident occurred as Argentina fans partied well into the night and welcomed their World Cup-winning side home at around 2am.
Footage of the players’ near miss shows the cord knocking off a player’s baseball cap. Messi, who was holding the World Cup trophy at the time, appeared to laugh at the incident.
The commentator in the clip above says, “What a moment! Watch out, guys!”
The Argentine government has made Tuesday a public holiday so that fans can join in celebrations across the country. The players themselves are expected to carry the world cup trophy to the Obelisk in downtown Buenos Aires, where victories during the tournament were celebrated by gigantic crowds.
More than a million fans are estimated to have gathered in the city center for the celebration which began on Sunday when Argentina beat France on penalties following a dramatic final.
Messi, 35, has announced the final was his last match in the World Cup although he plans to play a few more games for the national team.
Meanwhile in France, the national team returned from Qatar to the acclaim of the public in Paris.
A coach with stars including Kylian Mbappé, whose hat-trick in the final brought France back to the brink of defeat, departed Paris airport – where staff cheered them as they stepped off the plane – and into the heart of the capital where thousands gathered to greet them.
Despite it being a gray and cold December evening, several thousand had gathered at the Place de la Concorde in Paris.
Fans launched fireworks, waved the French tricolor and sang “Allez Les Bleus” and the French national anthem as the team appeared on the balcony of the prestigious Hotel de Crillon.
Manager Didier Deschamps and team captain Hugo Lloris greeted the crowd from the balcony. They were later joined by the rest of the squad and Mbappé, who caused a huge roar from the crowd.
