World Cup 2022: An explosion of joy as Argentina wins

An explosion of joy ripped through Argentina as its football team won the World Cup.

More than a million fans gathered in Buenos Aires to celebrate the victory - its first in the World Cup since 1986.

Supporters gathered at the city's obelisk, on to which pictures of the players were projected.

The crowds grew as night fell with more and more people thronging on to the streets to pay homage to the players.

Many said that the victory had brought them joy at a time of economic hardship.

Fans had started gathering early in the day to watch the match and there was a party atmosphere in the capital.

Drone footage showed the huge crowd that gathered.

Many paid homage to the late Diego Maradona, who led the 1986 team to victory.

Entire families took to the streets to watch the match unfold, hoisting their children up on their shoulders, so they, too, could get a view of the huge screens which had been erected for the occasion.

There was no lamppost, traffic light or other vantage point which was not climbed upon by Argentines sporting the blue-and-white shirt of the national team.

A video posted on Twitter captured the moment when Argentina scored the crucial final penalty.

If anything, the joy was even bigger in Rosario, the home town of Argentina's captain, Lionel Messi, where fans posed in front of murals praising the player as one "who comes from another galaxy".

In Rosario, even dogs were cheering for the local boy turned footballing legend.

Across the country, fans said the team's win was even sweeter because of how hard players had had to fight for it. The relief when Gonzalo Montiel scored the crucial penalty in the shoot-out was palpable.