MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

World Champions land in Buenos Aires, have a busy partial holiday ahead

Four provinces will not adhere to the national holiday decreed by President Fernández

Aerolíneas Argentinas' Flight AR 1915 landed at Buenos Aires' Ezeiza international airport at around 2am Tuesday. First to step off the Airbus 330-200 was world football champions captain Lionel Messi holding the much-coveted World Cup won in Qatar o er France on penalties.

 Little after 4.15 am, the players hopped on a bus to the Argentine Football Association's training camp also in the Ezeiza area where they would get some rest before heading for downtown Buenos Aires later Monday at around noon for the popular celebrations at the Obelisk square.

It is yet to be determined whether the team will make a stop at Casa Rosada, where they would be welcomed privately by President Alberto Fernández, after which the players would show up at the balcony but with to political figures beside them, which, according to Casa Rosada sources, is what then-President Raúl Alfonsín did back in 1986 when Diego Maradona's team won the World Cup in Mexico.

President Fernández finally did sign a much-awaited emergency decree making Tuesday a national holiday for people to participate in the celebrations, which far from pleasing the crowds, further deepened the crack between Peronists and anti-Peronists. However, it will be a normal working day for banks and for the Federal Administration of Public Revenues (AFIP - tax bureau).

The provincial governments of Santa Fe, Tucumán, San Juan, and Catamarca have already announced they would not adhere to the measure.