Public Holiday: Thousands of fans line streets at 2am to welcome Lionel Messi and Argentina home (PHOTOS)

Argentina’s World Cup winners have been greeted by thousands of fans in Buenos Aires – despite arriving home at 2am local time.

Lionel Scaloni’s side have flown back to the capital on a flight from Rome, with the party continuing on board. When they touched down at Ezeiza International Airport they had the nation’s media and packed crowds awaiting them ahead of a planned victory parade later in the day.

The World Cup final triumph over France on penalties following a 3-3 draw is now over 35 hours old. But celebrations in Argentina are showing no signs of slowing down, with news footage from Buenos Aires highlighting the passionate nature of the team’s supporters.

Argentina’s flight home was due to land at 2.17am local time, but that has not stopped fans lining the streets around the airport. Meanwhile, at one point, over 176,000 people were following the plane on a tracking app in the middle of the night.

When they touched down on the tarmac a bus with the words “World Champions”, three stars to signify Argentina’s third trophy, and images of the players celebrating was waiting for them.

Social media footage from the plane itself showed clearly that the party mood was not diminishing amid tiredness. Striker Lautaro Martinez was seen playing a giant drum while midfielder Enzo Fernandez accompanied him on a shaker to sing a song about the country’s footballing pedigree.

Another photo showed the players wearing sky blue sunglasses, T-shirts with the Argentina flag and three stars on and their winners’ medals. The World Cup was on board the plane and will be shown to fans on the bus tour later on Tuesday.

When they stepped off the plane, it was captain Lionel Messi and coach Scaloni who led the squad down the steps. Messi, wearing the Argentina team tracksuit and his long-awaited winners’ medal, held the World Cup aloft for the cameras.

The players climbed on board the awaiting coach, which then set off towards the Argentine Football Association (AFA) training centre. Later in the day, they will head back out on the bus for a full-blown victory parade around Buenos Aires.

There was one hiccup, with a serious accident only just averted. As the bus went around the streets, with five players, including Messi, almost colliding with an overhead cable as they sat at the back of the open top bus. Leandro Paredes only just ducked under in time, avoiding any damage but losing his cap.