'I want them to wait for me' - Messi heading home to celebrate in Buenos Aires

Argentina's national team will celebrate their World Cup triumph on Tuesday in Buenos Aires at the Obelisk, the monument that is the traditional epicentre of sporting celebrations.

The national team, who beat France on Sunday, will arrive in the country in the early hours of Tuesday on a state airline flight and spend the night at the federation's training centre located near the airport, according to local media reports.

Argentina beat France 4-2 on penalties after a 3-3 draw in a pulsating game that was labelled by many as one of the best finals in World Cup history.

Argentines, who took to the streets in every corner of the country after winning their third World Cup, are eagerly awaiting the team's arrival to continue the celebrations.

"I want to be in Argentina to see how crazy it is. I want them to wait for me, I can't wait to go there and enjoy it with them," said Lionel Messi.

On Sunday evening, as fireworks exploded and some 80,000 people roared, Lionel Messi smiled. His Argentina soccer shirt covered by the bisht the Emir of Qatar had just draped him in – the cape reserved for top officials and sheikhs. He smiled, he paused, then he hoisted high the World Cup, a lifetime's dream realised.

For all the accolades, all the awards, the riches, titles and silverware, there had been one stain on his career resume, and it was one he erased forever on a magical World Cup night for Argentina.

"It's anyone's childhood dream," Messi said. "I was lucky to have achieved everything in this career... and this one that was missing is here.

"It's madness... look how she (the World Cup) is, she's gorgeous. I wanted her so much. I had a vision that this would be the one... she was getting closer."

On this patch of green in the Qatari