Argentina returns home amid intense security after World Cup elimination

Argentina returns home after World Cup elimination

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — Argentina’s national squad is returning home amid high security after an exit from the World Cup that many fans felt was humiliating and premature.

The Aerolineas Argentinas flight left Sunday morning from South Africa, where Germany ended Argentina’s hopes with a stunning 4-0 victory.

Police are taking extreme measures to prevent fans from swarming the capital’s international airport. Customs and immigration officials will process the players and coaching staff at the plane, and a bus will take them directly from the tarmac to the Argentine Football Association’s nearby headquarters without passing through the airport building.

Police also are blocking the entire access highway, allowing only passengers, flight crews and airport workers to pass within 2 miles of the airport.