Lionel Messi and his Argentina teammates will make a triumphant return in their homeland on Thursday when they play their first match since winning the World Cup in Qatar.
More than 1.5 million fans applied for 63,000 available tickets for the match against Central American minnows Panama at the Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires.
Football-mad Argentines were out in even larger numbers following the Albiceleste's dramatic penalty shoot-out victory over France in December.
An estimated five million people thronged the streets of Buenos Aires a few days later for the trophy parade. Such was the multitude that the parade had to be abandoned long before it reached central Buenos Aires as it was already hours behind schedule.
Related News