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Spain return to Madrid
Spain celebrated its World Cup triumph with an open-top bus victory parade through Madrid after defeating Argentina 1-0 in extra-time in New Jersey, with Ferran Torres scoring the decisive goal.
“Based on facts observed and directly verified by our reporters or by informed sources”
TRT World said the procession began under a blazing sun along the main arteries in the city centre before arriving at Cibeles square, after the players flew back from the United States and were received by King Felipe VI and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.
The Guardian put the welcome at nearly two million people, saying La Roja beat Argentina 1-0 in the final in New Jersey on Sunday night and then touched down at Madrid’s Barajas airport at 2.30pm local time on Monday.
Rodri held the trophy aloft as he emerged from the plane, and the team’s first stop included an audience with King Felipe, Queen Letizia and their daughters, Princess Leonor and Princess Sofía, at the Zarzuela palace.
At Moncloa, Rodri said “winning for you country is the most beautiful thing there is,” while the prime minister’s office offered “massive thanks … for the game, for the effort and for the victory.”
Royal praise and political cheers
King Felipe VI told the players, “You have shown your grit, your resilience and your courage,” as Spain’s squad moved from the royal reception to the city-wide parade.
In Madrid, the BBC described the government response to the tournament’s final as a homecoming moment, while the Guardian reported that the central government’s delegate in Madrid put attendance along the route at around 1.8 million.
The Guardian also quoted Madrid’s mayor, José Luis Martínez Almeida, saying, “Even though there were thousands and thousands of people on the streets last night, there were practically no incidents in the city,” as fans braved the “34C evening heat.”
Political figures joined the celebration, with Sánchez writing “WE ARE WORLD CHAMPIONS!!” and People’s party leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo posting “Well-deserved WORLD CHAMPIONS! Values, hard work, humility, and faith.”
The far-right Vox leader Santiago Abascal also offered congratulations, telling the team it carried “the flag of Spain so far and so high,” as the parade wound from Moncloa to the Plaza de Cibeles.
Next steps and wider stakes
As the celebrations continued, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez looked ahead, saying, “Why not dream of a third in 2030, especially with Spain as hosts?” and the Al Jazeera report said Spain will defend their crown in 2030 as one of the World Cup hosts along with Portugal and Morocco.
“A million jubilant Spain supporters are expected to greet their heroes on Monday in Madrid, as the World Cup winners return home after clinching their second star”
The Guardian described the victory as Spain’s second men’s World Cup win after their triumph against the Netherlands in South Africa in 2010, and it said the parade’s highlight for fans was the route from Moncloa to the Plaza de Cibeles just outside Madrid city hall.
Al Jazeera also said a million people were expected to line the parade route, with additional security and transport measures planned, and it cited a deployment of “2,050 police officers and 400 Civil Guard personnel.”
In the background of the homecoming, the match-winner Ferran Torres was quoted in the wider coverage as saying, “It’s not my goal, it’s the goal of 47 million people,” while Lionel Messi’s final was framed through his own words on Instagram about “The pain is immense, and it's going to be hard for this wound to heal.”
Ouest-France reported that the Spain squad led by Luis de la Fuente paraded on a bus after meeting the king, with Rodri stepping off first with the trophy in his arms, as the day’s return set up the next ceremony at Cibeles.
