Buenos Aires (Argentina), Dec 22 (IANS): Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni has expressed his gratitude to the team's fans after guiding the Albiceleste to their first World Cup title since 1986.

The 44-year-old paid tribute to the millions of supporters that poured into the streets of Buenos Aires on Tuesday to pay homage to Argentina's players following their dramatic penalty shootout victory over France on Sunday.

"The dream of all Argentines came true," Scaloni said in a social media post. "I'm eternally grateful and excited to see you happy. You were player number 12."

Among the 300,000-plus people to give a "like" to the post was former Argentina captain Javier Mascherano, who wrote, "Thank you. You [Scaloni] are eternal."

A planned parade of Argentine players on an open-air bus had to be abandoned on Tuesday to protect the safety of the millions in attendance amid chaotic scenes, reports Xinhua.

The Albiceleste squad later continued the parade with a helicopter flyover.

Scaloni has led Argentina to the World Cup, the Copa America and the CONMEBOL-UEFA finals since taking charge of the national team in 2018.