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Lionel Messi returned to Argentina on Tuesday to take a few days off after the World Cup final loss to Spain.
Messi’s private jet landed near his hometown of Rosario in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, at 6:27 am. Although many fans waited with signs and flags, he did not make a public appearance.
Fans were only briefly able to see the van that met Messi at the track to transport him and his family to the private neighborhood of Funes, approximately 300 kilometers (185 miles) north of Buenos Aires.
The Argentine captain reportedly traveled with his wife, Antonela Roccuzzo, and their three children, who accompanied him throughout the tournament in North America. Waiting for him in Rosario was his father, Jorge, 68, whose ongoing medical treatment for an undisclosed illness had been revealed by the family during the World Cup.
Fans had gathered at the airport at 3:30 am hoping to catch a glimpse of the star. Among them were two young men in Albiceleste shirts holding welcome signs, one of which read: “Messi: You are a legend. Thank you for bringing joy to our hearts. An entire country loves you!”
Messi is expected to rejoin Inter Miami in late July or early August for the current MLS season.
Fifteen members of Argentina’s 26-player World Cup squad, led by coach Lionel Scaloni, landed at Buenos Aires’ Ezeiza airport on Monday on a charter flight.
The team’s arrival follows Sunday’s 1-0 overtime loss to Spain in the World Cup final in East Rutherford, New Jersey, decided by a Ferran Torres goal.
The match marked Messi’s third World Cup final appearance after 2014 and 2022. He finished the tournament as Golden Boot runner-up with eight goals, two behind Frenchman Kylian MbappĆ©.
MbappƩ leads the all-time scoring chart in a World Cup with 22, one more than Messi.
Information from The Associated Press.
