The dream of a national holiday evaporates. The government of Javier Milei put the welcome operation for the Argentine national team on hold after a significant part of the squad decided not to return to the country. The news came as a cold shower: Lionel Messi and Rodrigo De Paul have already flown to Miami to rejoin Inter Miami, joined by Enzo Fernández, Lautaro Martínez, Julián Álvarez, Gerónimo Rulli, Nicolás Paz, Cristian Romero, Nahuel Molina, and Giovanni Simeone. All chose to go directly to their clubs or vacation destinations without stopping in Buenos Aires.
The President had announced the measure on his X account hours after the 1-0 defeat to Spain at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. «Given the concern about the celebrations for the achievement of the Argentine national team, I inform the population that, depending on what the Players and the Coaching Staff decide regarding the day to celebrate, it will be declared a national holiday,» Milei wrote. But that initial caution turned into a concrete problem when the team’s captains and stars decided not to return.
The Argentine Football Association (AFA) confirmed the situation without naming names: «Some players from the squad will depart directly from the United States to different destinations to rejoin their clubs or begin their rest period.» Those who do return would land this Monday at Ezeiza International Airport on an Aerolíneas Argentinas flight, although the arrival time may vary. A second aircraft transports the players’ families on the same route. But with an incomplete squad and low morale in the locker room, the feasibility of a massive welcome was cast into doubt.
Faced with this scenario, the Casa Rosada again put the process on hold. «We are awaiting official communication with the national team to determine the next steps,» official sources said. Meetings scheduled for this morning between representatives of the national government, the City of Buenos Aires, and the province of Buenos Aires aim to redefine the plan based on what the coaching staff led by Lionel Scaloni decides. The AFA, in principle, does not want an official reception or to participate in large celebrations.
In a post-match interview, Milei highlighted the historical value of the campaign: «We must be historically aware of the enormous achievement of this group of players who, in the last four World Cups, reached three finals and won one.» The president also described six celebration alternatives conveyed to the AFA, including the possibility of using the Casa Rosada—emptied of political presence, including his own—for the players to greet fans from the balcony.
The President’s General Secretary, Karina Milei, had taken over coordination of the operation alongside the Casa Militar, with a criterion defined as «apolitical and non-partisan.» Representatives of federal forces, the Buenos Aires Ministry of Security, and the Buenos Aires provincial government held joint meetings over the weekend to prepare logistics, work that remains contingent on a decision that has not yet arrived.
The Government of the City of Buenos Aires deployed a reinforced operation around the Obelisk, with 1,000 police officers—200 more than for the semifinal against England—barriers, phenolic panels, and an advanced SAME medical post on Diagonal Norte Avenue. That infrastructure is ready to be activated, but its use depends on what is decided in the coming hours. In the province of Buenos Aires, the Ministry of Security under Javier Alonso prepared a preventive device with a presence in all 135 municipalities, focusing on the suburbs, La Plata, and Mar del Plata.
Meanwhile, fans who were hoping for a new holiday to celebrate the runner-up finish are left disappointed. The ball is now in Scaloni’s court and the few players who return. Will there be a party or a cold, lonely welcome? Uncertainty reigns in the Casa Rosada.
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Para mí esto huele a cuento de siempre: los cracks se van a Europa y Milei se lava las manos. Los ricos de siempre, los pobres laburando. Me parece una cachetada que prometan feriado y después se hagan los boludos. Aguante la izquierda, carajo.
Para mí esto huele a la típica pataleta de los zurdos llorones. Messi se rajó a Miami como un cagón y ahora los Kukas quieren feriado? Viva la libertad carajo, que laburen!