The Argentine men’s national football team departed from New York on Monday morning in a flight back to their home country, the Argentine Football Association (AFA) announced. The squad had gone straight back to their hotel, avoiding the media after the 2026 World Cup final, where they lost 1-0 to Spain. Not all of them are coming home: after what is believed to be his last World Cup game, star Lionel Messi reportedly decided to stay in the United States and traveled to Miami, where he plays for the Inter Miami club.
“Following the final, some of the team’s players will travel from the United States directly to various destinations and either rejoin their clubs or begin their break,” AFA said in a statement on Sunday night. According to reports from Argentine sports media, other players who will not return to Argentina include Rodrigo De Paul — who also plays at Inter Miami — as well as Enzo Fernández, Lautaro Martínez, Julián Álvarez, Gerónimo Rulli, Nicolás Paz, Cristian Romero, Nahuel Molina Lucero and Juan Musso. The rest of the players, coaches, and staff members will land in Ezeiza Airport in Buenos Aires on Monday at around 6:30 p.m.
after taking off from New York minutes after 8 a.m., Argentina time. The team is coming back on a charter flight from state-owned airline Aerolíneas Argentinas, on flight AR1971, a source from the company told the Herald. Their families will arrive earlier, at around 3:30 p.m., in a different flight alongside AFA executives.
National team coach Lionel Scaloni is reportedly in the return flight with the rest of the coaching team. Players Nicolás Otamendi and Gonzalo Montiel are also expected to be among those returning to Buenos Aires to rejoin local team River Plate, as well as Leandro Paredes, who plays for Boca Juniors. “The final result wasn’t enough to make the dream of a back-to-back championship come true, but it did reaffirm a bond that transcends any result,” AFA said, thanking the support of the Argentine fans in the name of the team.
On Sunday night, President Javier Milei announced on his X account that he would declare a national holiday to celebrate the national team’s achievements. However, he did not establish a date, saying it would depend on when the players and the coaching staff wanted to celebrate with the Argentine people. Fans who had gathered at the Obelisco to celebrate the team …
Argentina's coach Lionel Scaloni expressed deep sadness after their World Cup final loss to Spain. He cited unexpected injuries and immense player weariness as contributing factors to the defeat. Scaloni is now contemplating his future with the national team after his contract expires.
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