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MT 11 June 2014

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maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 11 JUNE 2014 24 24 Messi's Argentina arrive in Brazil with an eye on the title Lionel Messi's Argentina arrive in Brazil late Monday with an eye on what could be their country's third World Cup trophy CECILIA CAMINOS BELO Horizonte, Brazil (dpa) - Lionel Messi 's Argentina arrived in Brazil late Monday with an eye on what could be their country's third World Cup trophy. They arrived on a plane operated by the airline Aerolineas Argenti- nas with giant pictures of super- star strikers Messi, Sergio Aguero and Gonzalo Higuain on its fuse- lage with the words "Vamos Ar- gentina!" (Come on Argentina!). The squad then took a bus to the Cidade do Galo training complex in Vespasiano, 27 kilometres away from Belo Horizonte. Argentina are set to play their first match in the 2014 World Cup Sunday against Bosnia-Herze- govina in Rio de Janeiro's iconic Maracana stadium. The two are in Group F, alongside Iran and Nigeria. Brazilian fans queue up to see Argentina in training Brazilian football fans queued for hours on Tuesday to get tick- ets for Argentina's open training session. The demand to see the workout in the Independencia stadium in Belo Horizonte on Wednesday ex- ceeded all expectations. Some 4,000 tickets were to be given out to begin with, but the Argentine football federation lat- er said that 10,000 fans would be allowed into the stadium, which belongs to the America de Minas Gerais club. Some fans were wearing Argen- tina shirts, others the shirts of Atletico Mineiro, one of America's main rivals. They were brought to the stadium by the prospect of seeing stars such as Lionel Messi, Gonzalo Higuain, Sergio Aguero and Angel di Maria. Wednesday's training session will be the first contact between Alejandro Sabella's team and the locals since Argentina f lew in Monday. Tuesday saw them train behind closed doors at the stadi- um of Atletico Mineiro. Argentina will make their debut in Group F Sunday against Bosnia in Rio's historic Maracana stadi- um. June 21 will see them facing Iran in Belo Horizonte, then they will face Nigeria in Porto Alegre four days later. Argentina's Lionel Messi playing in a friendly against Trinidad and Tobago on June 4, 2014. Argentina are preparing for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. Photo by EPA/DAVID FERNANDEZ The 2014 World Cup Get all the latest updates

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