Lionel Messi evacuated by helicopter with Argentina team after fans swarm World Cup parade bus in Buenos Aires

Around four million football fans took to the streets of Buenos Aires on Tuesday to witness the Argentina football team take a victory parade in an open-top bus around the city after winning FIFA World Cup 2022. However, they ultimately ended up disrupting a planned parade, forcing Lionel Messi and his teammates to be evacuated via helicopters from the route. 

The Argentina team ended up abandoning their bus to instead fly over the city in choppers after photos and videos on social media showed how wild Argentine fans became during the parade. 

Upon arrival at 3 a.m. at the airport, crowds swarmed the team bus. Next, the planned trip through the city had to be stopped midway due to the increasingly frenzied behavior of the fans on the streets. 

In one of the videos shared on social media, fans were seen dropping from a bridge onto the team bus, which was carrying Messi. One of them ended up missing the vehicle completely and falling into the crowd. Other people were in filling highway bridges, climbing light posts and vehicles while singing and waving shirts and flags.

Chiqui Tapia, the head of the Football Association, said they were unable to continue the planned parade by bus and apologized to supporters who had turned out to celebrate Argentina’s third World Cup victory and first in 36 years.

A presidential spokeswoman confirmed the players were flying over the crowds in choppers since the roads had been swarmed due to the “explosion of happiness.” Argentine midfielder Enzo Fernandez posted a picture of himself in a helicopter with a headset on.

Argentine President Alberto Fernandez declared a national holiday for the celebrations.