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Madrid was painted red and yellow on Monday as Spain returned home and launched an open bus parade to celebrate the country’s second ever World Cup with hundreds of thousands of fans lining the city’s streets.
Manager Luis de la Fuente and his team landed in the Spanish capital early on Monday afternoon. Before walking the parade route, the team went to Zarzuela Palace for a formal reception where they were congratulated by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez as well as Spanish royals Queen Letizia and King Felipe VI.
Before the parade, King Felipe VI, Queen Letizia and Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez congratulated the world champions at Zarzuela Palace. (Photo by Carlos Alvarez/Getty Images)
From there, the players boarded their open-air bus to navigate a sea of red and yellow, heading for the Plaza de Cibeles, where many supporters had gathered at the iconic square since the early hours of the morning.
Many Spanish fans celebrated well into Monday morning because the final was played across the Atlantic in East Rutherford, New Jersey, and the final whistle sounded minutes before midnight local time in Spain.
La Roja secured the title in New Jersey after a 1-0 win against Argentina, with striker Ferran Torres scoring the winning goal in extra time.
Thousands of supporters lined Madrid’s historic streets and cheered 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 the trophy and celebrating with fans on the parade route.
When the team arrived at the Plaza de Cibeles, Cucurella got on the microphone and sang along to a viral song 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 at the center of the championship celebrations as a key contributor.
Yamal wasn’t the only member of his family in the spotlight this summer, however, as his younger brother Keyne stole the show with one viral moment after another.
The striker saw someone in the crowd holding a poster of Keyne, eventually handed it to him and held it up on the bus for all to see.
Cucurella is not the only player in Spain who can sing on the mic, as Yamal was spotted singing along to Bad Bunny on the parade bus.
When the team arrived at Cibeles Square for the final ceremony, the energy was still high despite night falling 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 night.
The celebrations in Madrid marked the end of a 16-year championship drought for the country.
Spain captain Rodri recovered from a devastating knee injury in 2024 to lift the World Cup trophy and win the Ballon d’Or two years later. (Photo by Jose Oliva/Europa Press via Getty Images)
After completely transitioning from veterans who defined previous eras to a roster led by teenage stars, all-around midfielders like Rodri and a stellar defense that conceded only once all tournament, Spain’s day in the capital marked the arrival of a new team at the pinnacle of international football.
