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Lionel Messi woke up next to the World Cup after a night of wild celebrations as Argentina returned home.
The players were greeted by hundreds of thousands of fans in Buenos Aires after they returned from Qatar on Monday following their dramatic win over France.
But it looks like Messi finally got some sleep, along with the glittering prize many believed was his destiny to win.
Lionel Messi woke up next to the World Cup trophy after Argentina returned home from Qatar to be greeted by hundreds of thousands of celebrating fans in Buenos Aires.
Messi was all smiles as he cradled the trophy in bed the morning after the night’s big party.
Messi cradled the famous gold trophy while having a morning drink in his hotel room.
He posted three images on Instagram of him next to the gold trophy, captioning them simply: “Good morning!”
The first snap showed Messi asleep next to the trophy, the second showed him sitting up in bed and smiling while wearing a celebratory three-star jersey to represent Argentina’s trio of World Cup triumphs.
And the third showed Messi enjoying a morning drink while hugging the trophy.
It appeared Messi had not dropped the trophy since Argentina touched down at Ezeiza International Airport around 2:20am local time Tuesday morning following a grueling 21-hour return journey from Qatar.
Messi was the first off the plane and held up the trophy for the assembled fans to see before he and head coach Lionel Scaloni got off.
He then boarded an open-top bus to parade through the streets of the capital where hundreds of thousands of jubilant fans had gathered to welcome their heroes home.
Captain Messi holds up the World Cup trophy on the bus after the team landed in Argentina.
Messi was still clutching his shiny prize as he joined his teammates on the bus of champions.
Captain Messi cradled the World Cup trophy as the Argentines returned home after their victory.
Messi and his teammates were nearly knocked off the back of their open-top bus shortly after arriving.
The video shows Messi and four teammates, including Leandro Paredes and Di María, forced to go under an overhead power cable at the last second as they slowly drove through a sea of jubilant Argentine fans.
Messi scored twice during the World Cup final at Lusail Stadium, adding to his total of seven for the tournament and ultimately clinching the only trophy that had so far eluded him throughout his sensational career.
Scaloni, who had burst into tears after Gonzalo Montiel scored the winning penalty, put an arm around his captain as they both waved to those greeting them on the court.
Lionel Messi and Argentina returned as heroes upon landing at Ezeiza International Airport
Argentina received a hero’s welcome after returning home from Qatar as world champions
The Argentina players celebrated in an open-top bus after landing at the Buenos Aires airport.
The Argentine squad landed in Argentina at dawn this Tuesday
Messi was followed by his teammates, including veteran Angel di Maria, whose goal had doubled Argentina’s lead in the first half of the final before France rallied.
Goalkeeper Martínez, whose dark arts during the penalty shootout sealed the victory, also received a warm welcome.
Despite the long-haul flight, the players were still in a jubilant mood as they waved to their fans from the top of the bus, which read “World Champions” on the side.
The champions’ bus crept through the streets of Buenos Aires and fans flooded the streets to catch a glimpse of their heroes.
Fireworks lit up the sky above the crowd, which was several rows deep, and the band ‘La Mosca’ played.
Fans lined the streets near the airport to welcome home Argentina’s World Cup winners.
Thousands of fans greeted the arrival of Argentina in Buenos Aires after winning the World Cup
The flight, with the World Cup trophy in tow and which departed at 5am Argentina time, refueled in the Italian capital Rome before flying to Ezeiza International Airport in Buenos Aires.
In total there were two planes for the entourage of the champions, including players, coaches, staff and family members.
After landing, the jubilant players are expected to begin displaying the trophy to their fervent fans, including at the iconic Obelisk in the center of the Argentine capital.
Fans in the Argentine capital flooded the streets as they awaited the return of the World Cup winners.
The players (pictured Rodrigo De Paul, Leandro Paredes and Lautaro Martínez) wore special Adidas jerseys for the occasion with three stars on the front for their three World Cup wins.
The bus of the champions crawled through the streets of Buenos Aires with crowds several rows deep
Despite the long-haul flight, the players were still in a jubilant mood as they greeted the fans.
Despite the flight’s late arrival, many stayed up to gather in front of the Argentine Football Association headquarters to greet the team.
They created a party atmosphere, drummed and sang as they continued to celebrate their nation’s triumph on football’s biggest stage.
Many donned the national team jersey, particularly Messi’s number 10, to welcome the players home.
Flags were attached and hung from any possible object, including vehicles, while a giant replica of the Jules Rimet trophy was hung from a crane.
Some supporters were even seen on horses waving the nation’s flag, while the replica of the World Cup trophy was displayed in front of them.