WATCH | Fan gloom as Argentina World Cup victory parade ends abruptly

Millions of jubilant fans turned out on Tuesday to welcome home Argentina's World Cup winners led by Lionel Messi, but most were left disappointed when an open-top bus parade had to be abandoned due to the massive crowds, in favour of a hastily organised helicopter tour.

Vast crowds of ecstatic fans cheered on their heroes along every meter of the planned 30km parade route from a Buenos Aires suburb to the center of the capital - but that made for interminably slow progress.

The bus had crawled along for almost five hours as the throng celebrated the team's thrilling penalty shoot-out victory over France in the World Cup final, before the decision was made to trade the bus for a chopper.

Roads of Buenos Aires packed with people for welcome of their World Cup winning team. The Argentina team bus couldn’t drive through, so they had to call in helicopters.??#Messi craze. #FIFAWorldCup??? #ArgentinaVsFrance pic.twitter.com/CWRAjj04o9

"It was impossible to continue on the ground due to the explosion of popular joy," presidential spokesperson Gabriela Cerruti said on Twitter.

It meant that many fans, including the largest congregation at the iconic Obelisk monument in central Buenos Aires that has for decades been the epicenter of sporting celebrations, did not get to see their idols in the flesh.

"I'm a little bit sad that we weren't able to see them," said Marta Acosta, 35, who traveled into town from a southern suburb at 5:00 am.

Claudio Tapia, president of the Argentine Football Association (AFA), blamed police for the decision to abandon the victory parade.

"They are not allowing us to go and greet all the people at the Obelisk," said Tapia on Twitter.

"The same security agencies that escorted us are not allowing us to continue.