Thousands in Paris welcome France home after World Cup loss

Thousands of fans in central Paris cheered the arrival home of the French team after it lost one of the greatest World Cup finals. (Reuters)

Kylian Mbappé and teammates landed at Charles de Gaulle Airport from Doha just after 8 p.m. local time Monday and descended from the plane in a somber mood. (AP Photo)

Smiling airport staff members holding signs that said “Thank you” and “Paris loves you” were passed without acknowledgement by the team. (Twitter/@ParisAeroport)

Looking tired and still visibly disappointed by their loss to Argentina in a penalty shootout in Qatar, the players boarded buses that took them to greet the hordes of excited fans waiting for them at Place de la Concorde. In Pic: France's Kylian Mbappe sits in a bus after arriving Monday, Dec. 19, 2022 at Roissy airport, north of Paris. (AP Photo)

In contrast with 2018 when France won the World Cup in Russia, the team did not receive a parade on the Champs-Elysees. (Reuters)

But to supporters, the location of the reception hardly mattered as they treated Les Bleus to a warm welcome home in the winter evening cold. They lit flares, waved flags and sang “La Marseillaise” as the players and coach Didier Deschamps emerged on the balcony of the Hotel de Crillon. (Reuters)

The team's mood brightened as they greeted fans from the balcony of Hotel Crillon after they arrived in Paris post the FIFA World Cup Finals. (Reuters)

France's Olivier Giroud, Antoine Griezmann, Aurelien Tchouameni, Ibrahima Konate and Eduardo Camavinga greet the fans from the hotel balcony. (Reuters)

France played its part in one of the most memorable finishes in World Cup history, even though the defending champion failed to retain the title. In Pic: France fans gather at the Place de la Concorde square in Paris as France team greets them from a balcony. (Reuters)

Mbappé’s hat trick helped France draw with Argentina 3-3 after extra time but they couldn’t rally again in the shootout. In Pic: Kylian Mbappe and teammates greet the fans from their hotel in Paris. (Reuters)

More than 24 million people — eight out of 10 viewers — watched the final on French TF1 television, a record high. (Reuters)

In a message published on Instagram and Twitter following Sunday’s defeat, Mbappé posted a photo of himself, head down, behind the World Cup trophy with the message: “We will be back.” (Reuters)