River Plate players are in the award ceremony after winning the Copa Libertadores in Madrid.

By Xinhua Photographer/Writer Guo Qiuda

MADRID, Dec. 10 (Xinhua) -- With the final whistle blown, River Plate's substitutes, coaches and matchday staff all rushed on to the pitch, hugging their exhausted players in front of a cheering crowd.

After 120 minutes of football, they have beaten Boca Juniors 3-1 and claimed the most prestigious title in South American football; the Copa Libertadores. After unrest ahead of the second leg of the final in Buenos Aires, they found themselves in the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid, thousands of kilometers away from their home continent.

River Plate players are taking selfie in the award ceremony podium after winning the Copa Libertadores.

Yet the team is not alone. Shortly after the little celebration they had with each other, all the River Plate staff and players turned to the north side of the stadium and marched forward. They marched toward the ocean of white jerseys where thousands of River Plate fans occupied half of the stadium.

They crossed the Atlantic along with their beloved team, just to witness this great historical moment. After more than 10 hours of flying, many hours of waiting and two hours of intense football, these fans received the best reward.

River Plate didn't fail them and the players know how valuable these fans are to the club. They also know how valuable these fans have been during this campaign.

On the other side of the Santiago Bernabeu, not many are still in their seats. Fans of Boca Juniors start to leave the stadium as soon as the game ends. This was definitely not what they were expecting to see, but there can only be one champion.

Those still in their seats remained silent. Most stood still. This will be a tough night for Boca Juniors fans, but they have done their best, cheering on their team until the last second. There was much to celebrate this night, but no one to be blamed.

Boca Juniors' Dario Benedetto is celebrating his goal, which gives Boca the lead just before halftime in the Copa Libertadores final.

In the stadium, thousands were in ecstasy while thousands were down in the icy water. Through my camera lens I saw their joy and sorrow, I felt glory and ambition.

Two Argentinean giants came together to produce one of football's great spectacles. The Superclasico. What often takes place far away in South American stadiums was seen on Europe's doorstep. The passion of the fans blew me away.

It's the nature of sport that there has to be a winner and a loser, but something deeper became clearer to me in the stadium that night. I realized that football is about connections. It's about the connection between fans, between a club and its history and the connection between bitter rivals.

I realized the fans will stick with their beloved teams, through tears and laughter, through failures and victories. I realized old stories become legends, new legends turn into stories, all remembered by fans.

River Plate players are hugging on the pitch after the game-ending whistle in Copa Libertadores final.

As much as River Plate and Boca Juniors fans might despise each other, more than anything, they need each other. These kinds of victories mean so much because they form part of a longer narrative.

It's the story of two teams, drawn together and separated by history, locked in a dramatic struggle for as long as the game of football will be played. For a brief moment, I was allowed to be a part of that history; I was able to say that I was there. Enditem

Editor's note: Guo Qiuda is a Xinhua photographer based in Madrid and he has covered dozens of major sports events including the 2018 World Cup finals.