The Argentine football world champion team began a mid-afternoon helicopter flight over Buenos Aires on Tuesday, December 20, abandoning a victory parade by bus that had become "impossible" due to "the explosion of joy popular," the country's presidency announced.

"The world champions are flying over the entire planned route in helicopters, as it has become impossible to continue by road," presidential spokeswoman Gabriela Cerruti said in a tweet.

“Let us continue to celebrate in peace, and show them our love and admiration,” she added.

Los Campeones del Mundo están sobrevolando todo el recorrido en helicopter porque se hizo imposible seguir por tierra ante la explosión de alegría popular.

Sigamos celebrando en paz y mostrándoles nuestro amor y admiración!

— Gabriela Cerruti (@gabicerru) December 20, 2022

More than four million people, according to a source from the municipality, had massed on the course of the team, between the complex of the Argentine Federation (AFA) 32 km from the capital, and the heart of the city.

A few minutes earlier, the president of the AFA Chiqui Tapia had announced that the security authorities "won't let us get to the end to greet all the people who were waiting at the Obelisk".

“A thousand apologies on behalf of all the champion players,” he added in a tweet.

No nos dejan llegar a saludar a toda la gente que estaba en el Obelisco, los mismos organismos de Seguridad que nos escoltaban, no nos permiten avanzar.


Mil disculpas in number of todos los jugadores Campeones.


Una pena 😠🇦🇷

— Chiqui Tapia (@tapiachiqui) December 20, 2022

Leaving at 11:45 a.m. (2:45 p.m. GMT) from the AFA headquarters, the bus of the now Argentinian "tri-campeones" was to reach the Obelisk, the nerve center of the celebrations.

But he had only traveled about ten kilometers three hours later, slowed down along the way by tens of thousands of supporters wearing sky and white jerseys, AFP noted.

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Argentinian television footage showed, at one point along the route, a fan attempting to jump onto the players' bus as it passed just under a road bridge, but missing his reception, and ending his fall in the compact crowd following the bus on foot.

The helicopter flight seemed to confirm that the team would not report to the balcony of the Casa Rosada, the presidential palace.

Right where Maradona appeared with the trophy after the last world title, in 1986. 

Small consolation for the supporters: to know that the World Cup passed well above their heads, from the Obelisk, in one of the helicopters, occupied by Messi, Scaloni and De Paul, according to a press release from the federal police.

"A little disappointment of course, everything could have been better organized so that we can take advantage of something that we have not taken advantage of for 36 years", lamented Roman Garcia, 36-year-old administrative agent. 

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With AFP

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