Nearly 2 million people flooded the streets of Madrid to celebrate Spain’s 1-0 victory over Argentina in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final. The open-top bus parade wound through the capital before culminating at Plaza de Cibeles, the traditional gathering point for Spanish sporting triumphs.
What happened on the pitch
Spain secured their second men’s World Cup title at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, with Ferran Torres scoring the decisive goal in the 106th minute of extra time. The 1-0 result denied Argentina back-to-back World Cup wins.
Spain’s first World Cup came in 2010 in South Africa, meaning the nation waited 16 years for a second taste. The squad, affectionately known as La Roja, returned to Madrid to scenes that rival anything European football has produced in recent memory. Madrid’s government officials confirmed the scale of the turnout, with the nearly 2 million figure placing it among the largest sporting celebrations in the city’s history.
Why crypto cares about the World Cup
