Lakhs of euphoric fans leaping into the air and waving flags as a penalty shoot-out saw Argentina’s Gonzalo Montiel score the winner.
Fans were seen weeping with joy after Argentina beat France 4-2 in Qatar on penalties.
It’s the first World Cup win for Argentina in 36 years.
Hundreds of fans gathered to watch the match at the former home of the late football star Maradona and dived into the pool after the final whistle.
After winning the game, football fans in Argentina flocked to the Obelisk in central Buenos Aires, the streets a carnivalesque cacophony of cheers, car horns, cumbia music, and bullhorns.
People started impromptu drumming bands with upturned paint buckets and cans, while slabs of beef grilled on the asados (barbecues), its scent filling the air of a brilliantly sunny afternoon
Before the final, Argentina’s president, Alberto Fernández, tweeted at his French counterpart: “Dear friend Emmanuel Macron, I hold great affection for you and I wish you the best for the future. Except for on Sunday. Argentina is my marvelous country, and it’s Latin America! Go, light blue and white!”
After the astonishing game, Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez said: “There could not have been a World Cup that I have dreamed of like this. I was calm during the penalties.”
For Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni it was a nail-biting finish to a turbulent tournament and he could not hold back his tears following the final whistle.
“I cannot believe that we have suffered so much in a perfect game. Unbelievable, but this team responds to everything,” Scaloni said.
