World Cup Bus Celebration In Argentina Abandoned Over Massive Crowd Turnout

Lionel Messi and his teammates had to abandon the planned bus parade in Argentina on Tuesday after a massive crowd turnout made the journey slower than expected.

Vast crowds of ecstatic fans cheered on their heroes along every metre of the planned 30-kilometre parade route from a Buenos Aires suburb to the centre of the capital – but that made for interminably slow progress.

The bus had crawled along for almost five hours as the throng celebrated the team's thrilling penalty shoot-out victory over France in the World Cup final before the decision was made to trade the bus for a chopper.

"It was impossible to continue on the ground due to the explosion of popular joy," presidential spokeswoman Gabriela Cerruti said on Twitter.

It meant that many fans, including the largest congregation at the iconic Obelisk monument in central Buenos Aires which has for decades been the epicentre of sporting celebrations, did not get to see their idols in the flesh.

"I'm a little bit sad that we weren't able to see them," said Marta Acosta, 35, who traveled into town from a southern suburb at 5:00 am.

Claudio Tapia, president of the Argentine Football Association (AFA), blamed police for the decision to abandon the victory parade.

"They are not allowing us to go and greet all the people at the Obelisk," said Tapia on Twitter.

"The same security agencies that escorted us are not allowing us to continue. Thousands of apologies in the name of all the champion players. It's a shame."

After arriving home from Qatar in the early hours of the morning, the players spent a short time resting at the Argentine Football Association training complex in the Ezeiza suburb of the capital.

Tuesday had been declared a public holiday for the celebrations.

"This trophy that we won is also for all those that did not manage to win it in previous World Cups we played, such as Brazil 2014," Messi said on social media, referring to the team that lost 1-0 to Germany in the title match eight years ago.

Argentina won the final in Qatar 4-2 on penalties after a roller-coaster 3-3 draw for their first world title in 36 years.

That allowed Messi, 35, to finally crown his record-breaking career with football's biggest prize as he produced one of the greatest World Cup final performances, scoring a first-half penalty and netting again in extra time.

In doing so, he emulated his predecessor as Argentina's idol, Diego Maradona, who inspired the country to their second world title with a series of match-winning displays in Mexico in 1986.