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Madrid was painted red and yellow on Monday as Spain returned home and embarked on an open-top bus parade to celebrate the country’s second World Cup victory with hundreds of thousands of supporters lining the city’s streets.
Coach Luis de la Fuente and his team landed in the Spanish capital on Monday afternoon. Before walking the parade route, the team visited the Zarzuela Palace for an official reception, where they were congratulated by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez as well as Queen Letizia and King Felipe VI of Spain.
Before the parade, King Felipe VI, Queen Letizia and Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez congratulated the world champions at the Zarzuela Palace. (Photo by Carlos Alvarez/Getty Images)
From there, the players boarded their open-top bus to sail through a sea of red and yellow, heading to the Plaza de Cibeles, where scores of supporters had gathered in the iconic square since the early hours of the morning.
Many Spanish fans celebrated until Monday morning, as the final was played across the Atlantic in East Rutherford, New Jersey, and the final whistle blew a few minutes before midnight local time in Spain.
La Roja won the title in New Jersey after a 1-0 victory over Argentina, thanks to striker Ferran Torres scoring the winner in extra time.
Thousands of fans filled Madrid’s historic avenues, cheering on the team as the procession made its way to Cibeles Square, the traditional epicenter of Spanish football celebrations.
Marc Cucurella, who played every minute at left back for Spain during the World Cup, was seen holding up the trophy and celebrating with fans on the parade route.
Once the team arrived at the Plaza de Cibeles, Cucurella took the microphone and sang a viral chant using his last name that went viral in 2024.
The last time Spain were world champions, Lamine Yamal was barely old enough to walk. Sixteen years later, the 19-year-old Barcelona star was in the middle of the championship celebrations as a key contributor.
Yamal wasn’t the only member of his family in the spotlight this summer, as his younger brother Keyne stole the show with one viral moment after another.
The attacker spotted someone in the crowd holding a poster of Keyne, eventually passed it to them and held it up on the bus for everyone to see.
Cucurella isn’t the only player in Spain who can sing on the microphone, as Yamal was spotted singing with Bad Bunny on the parade bus.
When the team arrived at Cibeles Square for the final ceremony, the energy was still high despite it being dark in Madrid.
The players were then introduced individually, with Spain captain and Ballon d’Or winner Rodri receiving one of the biggest ovations of the evening.
The celebrations in Madrid marked the end of a 16-year league drought for the country.
Spain captain Rodri recovered from a serious knee injury in 2024 to lift the World Cup trophy and win the Golden Ball two years later. (Photo by José Oliva/Europa Press via Getty Images)
After a complete transition from veterans who defined previous eras to a roster led by teenage stars, versatile midfielders like Rodri and a stellar defense that conceded just once in the entire tournament, Spain’s day in the capital marked the arrival of a new team at the pinnacle of international football.
