Argentina’s open-top bus parade has had to be cut short following their heroic World Cup win after numerous security concerns during the celebration thus far.
Returning home from Qatar 2022 on Tuesday, the national squad were met by an incredible reception as thousands gathered around the team plane as it landed in Buenos Aires.
However, it didn’t take long for the joyous scenes to get out of control as the victory parade began its journey through the capital and millions lining the streets began to swarm the bus in an attempt to meet their heroes.
In one rather incredible clip, multiple Argentine fans hanging from a bridge tried to jump aboard the team bus as it drove under the overpass, with one falling and having to be carried away on a stretcher.
Fans jump from a bridge on Argentina’s team bus. One falls, taken away on a stretcher, but still singing.
Bus supposed to finish at the iconic Obelisk monument, where hundreds of thousands of fans were gathered. But security forces said it was unsafe to enter the Plaza de la República. AFA president Chiqui Tapia said: "A thousand apologies on behalf of all of the champion players." pic.twitter.com/IxA8dcVQX4
As if these chaotic scenes weren’t enough, concerns were already raised for the players’ safety after it became apparent that the procession route itself wasn’t the most suitable, as various streets in and around Buenos Aires area threw up obstacles.
In another video, the Argentinian players can be seen celebrating on the open-top bus when they are nearly struck by an electrical wire and have to duck their heads out of the way at the last second.
This could have ended very differently:
We’ve been so close to a tragic event at Argentina team celebration.
Messi, Di Maria, De Paul and Paredes went that close to being hanged by a high tension cable;
One several close calls during Argentina’s bus parade.
Given the fanaticism for football in the South American country, it came as no surprise that the bedlam soon got out of hand.
To make matters worse, a 24-year-old man is said to have sadly died after falling from a roof during the chaos and a five-year-old boy fell into a coma after a chunk of marble fell from a statue as a result of the riotous celebrations.
Not only was this Argentina’s first World Cup since 1986, when Diego Maradona helped the team lift the trophy for the second time but, like his predecessor, this was also Lionel Messi‘s first — effectively completing the set when it comes to winning everything there is to win in football.
Understandably, virtually every Argentinian would have given anything to catch a glimpse of the national hero and sporting god and literally thousands of fans turned up at his home in Rosario as the car pulled into the drive.
The scenes outside Messi's house as he arrived back home in Rosario 😳🇦🇷
In fact, Messi and his teammates only managed to return home after local police decided to cancel the remainder of the parade and airlift the players out of the capital via helicopter.
The bus was supposed to reach the Obelisk monument as its final destination but simply couldn’t make it through the ridiculously large crowd, with the estimated eight-hour festivities lasting significantly longer and said to be still continuing in some parts as authorities try to restore some order.
It is said that the city centre was packed with over five million people at its peak.
New free app launches to help people find the best nature spots in and around Manchester
Emily Sergeant
A new free app has launched to help people find, discover, and visit nature on their doorstep.
Wildling is aiming to be a simple one-step solution to the growing mental health crisis and the urgent need to care for the natural world.
By helping people visit nature more easily, and giving them tools to truly connect with it at this same time, Wildling is well on its way to supporting personal wellbeing and the joy of easily discovering nature across the UK, all while nurturing a sense of care and action for the planet.
Supported by partners including the RSPB, Marine Conservation Society ,and Forestry England, and backed by advisors and environmentalists like Ben Goldsmith, Eden Project founder Tim Smit, and Dragon’s Den’s Deborah Meaden, the new app brings the UK’s wild spaces and hidden green spots together in one place.
A new free app has launched to help people find the best nature spots in Manchester / Credit: Kitera Dent | Robin Worrall (via Unsplash)
Featuring more than 1,500 locations across the country, from coastlines and woodlands, to nature reserves, the app also includes a wide range of tips to help you make your time in nature easier, more enjoyable, and more meaningful.
The app has been created with the input of research carried out by the University of Derby, based on responses from more than 68,000 adults across England over two years.
The study found that people who spend time in nature every day report up to 22% greater life satisfaction, 17% higher happiness, and an average uplift of around 19% in overall wellbeing, compared to those who rarely go out.
Regular time in nature was also found to have a ‘striking’ effect on pro-environmental behaviour too, according to the survey.
Wildling was created by impact entrepreneur Ant Rawlins who wanted to make accessing nature ‘easier’ for everyone.
“We wanted to give people the tools to engage with nature by making it genuinely easy to visit, by showing them nearby nature places and giving them everything they need to make it happen,” says Ant Rawlins commented.
Wildling connects Mancs to the outside world and all it has to offer / Credit: Sol Stock (Supplied)
Ant said the study shows that spending more time in nature just a nice idea, it makes you happier, increases your satisfaction with life, lifts your overall wellbeing, and encourages you to look after the world around you.
“That’s exactly why Wildling was created,” he concluded.
The Wildling app is available now to download for free through the App Store and Google Play, and you can find out more here.
Featured Image – Shironosov (Supplied)
News
Chester Zoo’s viral new snow leopard cub ventures outside for the first time
Emily Sergeant
Chester Zoo’s adorable baby snow leopard who went viral last week could very well be about to go viral again.
That’s because new footage of it venturing outside for the first time have been released.
After arriving to first-time parents Nubra and Yashin, who are both three-years-old, last month (10 June 2025), keepers at Chester Zoo said mum and cub had mostly spent their time quietly tucked away in a cosy den, away from the eyes of the onlooking public – but now, it’s time for the little one to see what the outside world is all about.
Now, at seven-weeks old, the cub has gained in strength and confidence, and experts expected that it could venture outside at ‘any moment’.
Zookeepers are still yet to confirm the sex of the cub, and will be able to do soon once it has undergone its first health check-up with the vets.
We can also expect to hear one the little one’s name is very soon too.
If you’re unfamiliar with snow leopards, they are classed as vulnerable to extinction by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and it’s believed there are as few as 4,000 now remaining in the wild.
Nicknamed the ‘ghosts of the mountains’, these elusive – but adorable – big cats are found in the rugged, remote regions of Central Asia and the Himalayas – but sadly, despite being known for living in desolate, harsh environments, they continue to face threats from habitat loss, climate change, poaching, and retaliatory killings by farmers.
Chester Zoo’s viral new snow leopard cub ventures outside for the first time / Credit: Chester Zoo
The cub’s birth follows the opening of Chester Zoo’s Himalayan habitat in May 2024, which is a vast, rocky environment that authentically recreates the mountainous terrain of Central Asia.
“This is the first snow leopard cub to be born at Chester Zoo,” commented Dave Hall, who is the Team Manager of carnivores at Chester Zoo, last week when the adorable hidden den cam footage was first released to the public.
“It’s a truly historic moment and a real cause for celebration – not just for our teams here, but also for the future of this magnificent species globally.”
Although it’s still early days, carnivore experts at the zoo say Nubra is showing ‘excellent maternal instincts’ by nursing her new arrival every few hours and always keeping close by.
Danny Jones -
21st December 2022 
