Intro:

70,000 Argentina fans are in Rio de Janeiro for the World Cup final.

Script:

Football days don't come any bigger than this, it's World Cup final day.

An estimated 70,000 Argentina fans are in Rio de Janeiro for their match against Germany. Many of them can't afford hotels, hostels or tickets but they are here just to be near where history will be made.

SOUNDBITE: (Spanish) Gustavo Murrua (left) Maximiliano Tijera (centre) Fabiano Tijera (right), Argentina fans:

Murrua: "We are happy, ready to live the best day of our lives."

Fabiano Tijera: "To share this craziness, we know that we can't get into the stadium, but with all this it's enough and makes the trip worth it."

Murrua: "People didn't sleep, but everyone is bright eyed and bushy tailed to sing, dance and party."

Maximiliano Tijera: "The party continues."

Murrua: "We're very happy."

They are staying at Rio's Sambadrome where the city's famous carnival takes place. Now it's an Argentine campsite.

There are 25,000 police and soldiers working on the match, many of the songs these fans sing are designed to antagonise the locals.

Here they are singing Maradona is bigger than Pele.

It's all good natured so far and if the South Americans win tonight, even the sambadrome will have seen nothing like the party that would follow.