Millions flood Buenos Aires as Messi and co airlifted in choppers

BUENOS AIRES :Millions of ecstatic Argentines flooded onto the streets of Buenos Aires on Tuesday to cheer the country's World Cup-winning soccer squad led by Lionel Messi, with the heaving crowd bringing the open-top bus parade to a standstill.

The players were unable to reach the central Obelisco monument as planned due to security concerns because of size of the crowd, estimated by local media at four million people. They were transferred from their parade bus to helicopters.

"The world champions are flying over the entire route in helicopters because it became impossible to continue on land due to the explosion of joy," presidential spokeswoman Gabriela Cerruti wrote on Twitter.

Television images showed people all over the city, including those waiting around the Obelisco and on surrounding highways trying to catch a glimpse of their returning champions.

"It's crazy, it's incredible, it's the best thing that can happen to you in life," said 25-year-old metalworker Matias Gomez.

"It is an enormous joy to see all these happy people, all together, one with the other, holding hands, giving each other hugs, kisses. We are all one today."

The team had arrived in the early hours of Tuesday at Ezeiza airport. Despite it being around 3am local time (0600 GMT), thousands were waiting with banners, flags and flares and howling with joy after Messi and his team mates ended the country's 36-year wait to win the World Cup.

By around midday millions had already congregated in downtown Buenos Aires, with major roads shut down for the parade. People held up banners of Messi and late icon Diego Maradona, played instruments or climbed lamp-posts or bus stops.

Roads started to clear after the players were airlifted out, with some people left