The streets of Lionel Messi's hometown of Rosario erupted in celebration after Argentina beat France to win its third World Cup title.
Argentina's three goals in the 3-3 draw were scored by Rosario natives, with Messi, who came up from local team Newell's Old Boys, scoring two and Angel Di Maria, who once played in rival local team Rosario Central, one.
Rosario, just like the rest of the country, was paralysed during the nail-biting match that ended in a penalty shootout, which Argentina won 4-2.
Tens of thousands of people descended on the National Flag Memorial, the symbol of Argentina's third-largest city, to celebrate Argentina's victory. People started arriving as soon as Messi lifted the international trophy and were still there well into the evening.
The local football rivalry between Central and Newell's was set aside on Sunday as seemingly the entire city celebrated the national team's victory.
"It's madness. It surpassed my expectations with so many people on the same wavelength, everyone celebrating. That's what's most beautiful about today," said Jeremias Regolo, 26, who joined the celebrations at the National Flag Memorial.
Fans also took from how the triumph gave the country a respite from its usual worries at a time when it is suffering one of the world's highest inflation rates, of almost 100 percent annually.
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