Topics: Lionel Messi, Argentina, FIFA World Cup
The Albiceleste captain returned to his hometown, alongside teammate Angel di Maria, and received a reception worth of a world champion.

After a hard-fought battle in Qatar, Argentina's inspirational captain Lionel Messi made his much-awaited return to Rosario. However, unlike in previous years, La Pulga arrived in his hometown as a world champion.

After a 36-year wait, La Albiceleste finally got their hands on a FIFA World Cup title, with La Pulga guiding his nation to the most coveted trophy in the beautiful game in what was his last tournament.

The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner scored twice in Sunday's final versus France, which ended in a 3-3 draw due to Kylian Mbappe's brilliant hat-trick. However, Scaloni's men emerged victorious on penalties, beating Les Bleus 4-2 to bring the prize back to Argentina.

Messi and Co. touched down in Buenos Aires in the early hours of Tuesday but were greeted by thousands of fans nonetheless. Things got more chaotic, with supporters packing the streets during the official open-top bus parade. Accidents occurred, leaving a number of people injured, with police later canceling the event.

Nonetheless, Messi and Di Maria, two Rosario homeboys, managed to hop on a helicopter and returned to Santa Fe to celebrate their victory. And to no one's surprise, all three received a heroes' welcome, especially La Pulga.

Several fans lined up to greet and congratulate the PSG superstar, with the 35-year-old even stopping to take pictures before heading to his home. However, it did not end there as a large group of supporters waited for him at his residence to serenade the triumphant captain. Check it out in the clip below.

Club football is set to return soon but the Argentines are expected to celebrate their victory for some time. Leo, who recently revealed that he will not be retiring following this achievement, has now won every single trophy in his career, having lifted the Copa America title last year to end his blemish in international football.