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Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
Sport
Jacob Leeks

Argentina fan dies and five-year-old in coma following World Cup party chaos

Argentina's World Cup celebrations in Buenos Aires ended in chaos, with one fan left dead, police attacked by missile-throwing hooligans and a five-year-old in a coma.

The South American country are celebrating after Argentina defeated France on penalties to win their first World Cup since 1986 on Sunday. They then returned home early on Tuesday morning before taking to the streets in an open-top bus to show off the trophy to adoring fans.

More than five million people are estimated to have packed the streets of the capital city Buenos Aires to get a glimpse of the victorious squad. Chaos quickly descended though, leading to the team abandoning their bus and taking to helicopters to complete the journey.

READ MORE: Footage of Kylian Mbappe's World Cup final team talk in France dressing room speaks volumes

That night also ended with one man dead after he had fallen from a height while jumping on a roof, according to Buenos Aires police. The Ministry of Health confirmed a 24-year-old had passed away after being admitted to Fernandez Hospital with a head injury.

Police said he was celebrating the World Cup win when a plate broke and he fell to the ground. A five-year-old boy is also in a coma after sustaining a serious head injury following an incident at the Plaza San Martin.

Local reports suggested a piece of marble had fallen from a monument during the celebrations, hitting the child. The five-year-old is now in intensive care following the incident.

Riot police clashes with fans of Argentina following the celebration of the team's arrival from the Qatar 2022 World Cup tournament, which left millions disappointed when an open-top bus parade had to be abandoned due to the massive crowds, on December 20, 2022, in the surroundings of the Obelisk in Buenos Aires. (Photo by Luis ROBAYO / AFP) (Photo by LUIS ROBAYO/AFP via Getty Images) (LUIS ROBAYO/AFP via Getty Images)

Police also came under attack from hooligans throwing missiles, with officers forced to take cover. A group of officers were seen hiding behind their shields as firefighters attempted to reach fans who had climbed to the top of the 235ft-high Obelisk monument.

Young men were also seen pelting police with bottles and stones, with three million people thought to have gathered at the base of the Obelisk alone. Initial reports claim 13 people had been arrested amid the celebrations, with eight officers injured.

Both numbers are expected to rise over the course of Wednesday as the fallout from Tuesday's chaos becomes clearer. The squad were forced to abandon their parade after two fans attempted to jump into their bus.

TOPSHOT - Fans of Argentina cheer as the team parades on board a bus after winning the Qatar 2022 World Cup tournament in Buenos Aires, Argentina on December 20, 2022. - Millions of ecstatic fans are expected to cheer on their heroes as Argentina's World Cup winners led by captain Lionel Messi began their open-top bus parade of the capital Buenos Aires on Tuesday following their sensational victory over France. (Photo by Luis ROBAYO / AFP) (Photo by LUIS ROBAYO/AFP via Getty Images) (LUIS ROBAYO/AFP via Getty Images)

One man successfully jumped in, but another failed and fell to the ground head-first after slamming against the back of the bus. The squad were instead taken to Argentine Navy helicopters where they were flown along the rest of the route before going back to the Argentine Football Association headquarters in Ezeiza.

Foreign reporters also faced significant challenges broadcasting live reports back to their studios. Matthias Ebert, South American corresponded for Germany's ARD, had a replica World Cup placed on his head before he was lifted to the air and thrown around.

He was later left looking like a snowman after being covered by foam, but continued to shout into his microphone over the noise of the jubilant fans. Ebert reported "hell was being unleashed" as the Argentine people celebrated.

“Here hell is being unleashed. Everyone has been waiting for the team from the early hours of the morning. There’s a lot of euphoria and enormous pride. They clearly want to show Germany they’re the ones who won," he said.

CNN's Stefano Pozzebon also ended up covered in foam, with some fans also getting aggressive towards the reporter. Pozzebon even had to push one man away after they attempted to grab his microphone.

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