More than four million people took over the streets and avenues of Buenos Aires on Tuesday, from Ezeiza to the Casa Rosada, to celebrate that the Argentine team is world champion. Such a tide of people was not going to leave us without unusual and even dangerous scenes, in the middle of a disorganized celebration and with chaotic moments.
The madness for obtaining the Albiceleste's third world title exceeded all expectations, the capacity of the security forces and showed that sometimes reality is stranger than fiction. Leo Messi, captain and all-time goalscorer for the national team, had already said months ago that any celebration you could imagine would fall "short". So it was.
Not only did almost 10% of the country's population take to the streets of Buenos Aires to see the players as they traveled aboard an open-top coach with the World Cup, but they were capable of (almost) anything.
In Republic Square, a young woman was shown completely naked in front of thousands of fans wearing only a pair of sunglasses. Around her, the soccer euphoria led fans to climb traffic lights, trees, canopies and any elevated element to get some kind of privileged place to see the heroes of Qatar.
In another sector of the supposed route that the soccer players were going to travel, which was finally interrupted by the human tide, a photo detected a man with an electronic anklet on his right leg. This type of device is used in prisoners who are serving house arrest –according to a prison source after identifying its design–, although it could also be used, in some cases, to comply with a restraining order.
The passion for soccer in Argentina often knows no limits or limitations, to such an extent that an Argentine fan did not stop cheering even when he was being treated by the health teams after falling from a bridge as the players' bus passed by. Tied to the stretcher and with a cumbersome bandage on his head, the video shows the fan as he continues to cheer on the Albiceleste to the sound of the now iconic song Muchachos, now we are excited about La Mosca Tse Tse again.
At another point on the unfinished route of the selection, a Christmas tree had this Tuesday afternoon with unprecedented decorations. In addition to the star at the top, the garlands and the colored balls, this tree had about a dozen fans who climbed to celebrate the title. The usurpers of the Obelisk were not lacking either, as happened last Sunday, leaving very dangerous images at a height of 68 meters.
Also some thieves took advantage of the occasion. Already at dawn from Monday to Tuesday, when the team landed at the Ezeiza airport, the theft of the wheels of 25 cars parked near the aerodrome was reported. On Tuesday, next to the Obelisk, the images showed a man dragging the lights of a traffic light with him.
Although one of the most disturbing images of the day was that of two men jumping from a bridge onto the bus with the players. Successfully, the first, but falling to the ground from the heights, the second. In fact, this was the trigger that led the authorities to suspend the route that was to take the bus with the players to the Obelisk, which they finally flew over by helicopter.
