Messi does not return with the National Team: He went to Miami with De Paul after the defeat in the 2026 World Cup

The Argentine national team returned to the country this Monday, but not complete. Lionel Messi, the captain and emblem of the team, was not on the flight that landed at Ezeiza around 6 p.m. After the defeat in the 2026 World Cup final against Spain, the Rosario star chose to travel from New York to Miami with Rodrigo De Paul to rejoin Inter Miami, his MLS club. A decision that came as a cold shower among the fans who were waiting to see him at the celebrations.

Messi and De Paul are part of the list of ten players who did not return to the country. Neither did Julián Álvarez, Enzo Fernández, Gerónimo Rulli, Giuliano Simeone, Nicolás Paz, Marcos Senesi, Facundo Medina, Valentín Barco, Nicolás González, José Manuel López, and Juan Musso. On the AR1971 flight from New York traveled Claudio “Chiqui” Tapia, Lionel Scaloni, Nicolás Otamendi, Nicolás Tagliafico, Alexis Mac Allister, Gonzalo Montiel, Lisandro Martínez, Giovani Lo Celso, Leandro Paredes, Emiliano “Dibu” Martínez, Exequiel Palacios, and others.

The reception at Ezeiza was with a red carpet, Grenadiers, Fanfarria Alto Perú, and the song “Muchachos” playing in the background. But the national government, led by Javier Milei, did not declare a holiday and organized a protocol celebration. The president explained on LN+ that they offered six celebration options, but the players, “faced with the sadness of not having won, decided not to hold celebrations.” And he added: “Sometimes it is very difficult to understand the historical nature of what they have achieved.”

The AFA shared an emotional video with images of the open-top bus traveling along the Riccheri highway, set to “Inconsciente Colectivo” by Charly García. “Just say thank you, country. Infinite thanks,” Tapia wrote on X. The bus, wrapped with the legend “Welcome selection,” left the airport heading to the AFA’s Lionel Messi complex, where the players reunited with their families.

Rodrigo De Paul, from Miami, published a lengthy message on social media. “The greatest pain is because we could not bring the World Cup to our country again,” he wrote. But he also targeted detractors: “Today I see how many people were waiting for this fall, installing unfounded conspiracies throughout the World Cup.” And he closed: “It will hurt me for a long time, but today more than ever I am proud to be Argentine.”

Meanwhile, thousands of fans gathered on the service roads of the Riccheri to greet the squad, defying the low temperatures. Traffic became chaotic at the access roundabout to the complex, with long lines of vehicles. The popular celebration was massive, but Messi’s absence left a bitter taste. The captain, who according to Milei went to Rosario with his family, chose Miami. The National Team returns home, but without its biggest star.

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