FIFA World Cup heroes Spain return home ahead of victory parade

Spain's victorious FIFA World Cup team arrived back in Madrid on Monday, met by scenes of jubilation and the anticipation of a massive celebration involving an estimated one million fans. The national squad clinched their second World Cup title after a hard-fought 1-0 victory against Argentina in New Jersey, with Ferran Torres scoring the decisive goal in extra time. This triumph has ignited widespread national pride in a country with a deep passion for football, recalling their previous World Cup win in 2010. The celebrations began immediately after the final whistle, with fans filling the streets across the country throughout the night. Madrid's main avenue, Castellana, showed signs of the previous night's revelry, littered with debris as cleaning crews worked to prepare for the day's events. Players are scheduled to be received by King Felipe VI at Zarzuela Palace and later by Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez at La Moncloa government headquarters. An open-top bus parade will wind through the city, culminating in a ceremony at Cibeles square, a traditional site for national team celebrations. The scale of the expected crowd has prompted additional security and transport measures. The victory is particularly significant as Spain now holds both the men's and women's World Cup trophies simultaneously, a unique achievement following the women's team's win in 2023. Spain is also set to co-host the 2030 World Cup.

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I didn’t sleep much, because… (of) the celebration and then the tension of the match, I think it was a little more difficult for all of us to fall asleep.