{"id":2509703,"date":"2026-07-20T17:00:36","date_gmt":"2026-07-20T17:00:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2509703"},"modified":"2026-07-20T17:00:36","modified_gmt":"2026-07-20T17:00:36","slug":"spains-world-cup-champions-return-home-for-a-royal-welcome","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/spains-world-cup-champions-return-home-for-a-royal-welcome\/","title":{"rendered":"Spain\u2019s World Cup champions return home for a royal welcome"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div>\n<p><strong>By SUMAN NAISHADHAM<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>MADRID (AP) \u2014 Spain\u2019s <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/fifa-world-cup\">World Cup<\/a><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/world-cup-spain-defense-simon-3ea35bdc87c3f9d7f6d16651956e0ecc\">winning soccer team<\/a> returned home on Monday, where the 26-man squad is due to meet with Spain\u2019s royals and <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/pedro-sanchez-spain-world-cup-final-7f75072b134adb48b9849efa3bb93010\">Prime Minister Pedro S\u00e1nchez<\/a> before boarding an open-top bus for a raucous parade through central Madrid.<\/p>\n<p>Thousands of fans will greet them as they travel down Madrid\u2019s historic avenues from near Moncloa Palace, the prime minister\u2019s official residence, to Cibeles Square.<\/p>\n<p>A ceremony with the players will then be held at the square, where previous Spanish national teams and their supporters have traditionally gathered to celebrate.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"jeg_video_container jeg_video_content\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Spain&amp;apos;s team returns to Madrid after winning the 2026 World Cup\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/HS5S0w1hq_w?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Spain walked off with the trophy at Sunday\u2019s final after defeating now-dethroned champion Argentina 1-0 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. It was only the second time \u2014 after a 2010 victory in South Africa \u2014 that Spain won the title.<\/p>\n<p>The Spanish team was congratulated Sunday by the leaders of the three countries that co-hosted the tournament \u2014 U.S. President Donald Trump, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.<\/p>\n<p>After the final whistle, the Spanish capital <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/video\/wild-celebrations-in-madrid-after-spain-seal-world-cup-victory-c3446c6d9a1b43ebb5a77b5ffcde4564\">erupted into celebrations<\/a>, with thousands of supporters pouring into the streets from bars and restaurants, many draped in Spanish flags or wearing the team\u2019s colors.<\/p>\n<p>Crowds packed Madrid\u2019s Puerta de Sol and other major squares \u2014 singing, dancing and setting off flares while car horns blared throughout the capital.<\/p>\n<p>Many celebrated Sunday\u2019s victory long into the wee hours of Monday morning.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m very happy. I\u2019ve slept three or four hours, but for the team, I\u2019ll do whatever it takes,\u201d said 19 year-old Victor \u00c1lvarez early Monday.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-slideshow\" id=\"mng-gallery-926662c55268034d1c9a02f4f9e8b7e0\"><button class=\"icon-close mng-gallery-fullscreen-close\" aria-label=\"Close fullscreen slideshow\"\/><\/p>\n<ul class=\"mng-gallery-initialized mng-gallery-slider\"><button id=\"mng-gallery-prev\" class=\"mng-gallery-prev mng-gallery-arrow\" aria-label=\"Previous\" type=\"button\"\/><\/p>\n<div class=\"mng-gallery-list draggable\">\n<div class=\"mng-gallery-track\">\n<li data-index=\"1\" class=\"mng-ge mng-gallery-active\" id=\"mng-ge-0\" aria-hidden=\"false\" tabindex=\"0\">\n<div class=\"image-wrapper\"><\/p>\n<p>Spanish fans celebrate in central Madrid after Spain defeated Argentina in the World Cup final soccer match in East Rutherford, N.J., near New York, Sunday, July 19, 2026. (AP Photo\/Bernat Armangue)\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-index=\"2\" class=\"mng-ge\" id=\"mng-ge-1\" aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\">\n<div class=\"image-wrapper\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Spanish fans celebrate in central Madrid after Spain defeated Argentina...\" class=\"lazyload size-article_inline\" data-sizes=\"auto\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bostonherald.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/APTOPIX_Spain_WCup_Soccer_Reaction_6_741_a6f375.jpg?w=620\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bostonherald.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/APTOPIX_Spain_WCup_Soccer_Reaction_6_741_a6f375.jpg?w=620 620w,https:\/\/www.bostonherald.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/APTOPIX_Spain_WCup_Soccer_Reaction_6_741_a6f375.jpg?w=780 780w,https:\/\/www.bostonherald.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/APTOPIX_Spain_WCup_Soccer_Reaction_6_741_a6f375.jpg?w=810 810w,https:\/\/www.bostonherald.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/APTOPIX_Spain_WCup_Soccer_Reaction_6_741_a6f375.jpg?w=1280 1280w,https:\/\/www.bostonherald.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/APTOPIX_Spain_WCup_Soccer_Reaction_6_741_a6f375.jpg?w=1860 1860w\" bad-src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Spanish fans celebrate in central Madrid after Spain defeated Argentina in the World Cup final soccer match in East Rutherford, N.J., near New York, Sunday, July 19, 2026. (AP Photo\/Manu Fernandez)\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-index=\"3\" class=\"mng-ge\" id=\"mng-ge-2\" aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\">\n<div class=\"image-wrapper\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Players from Spain\u2019s national soccer team arrive at Madrid airport...\" class=\"lazyload size-article_inline\" data-sizes=\"auto\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bostonherald.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Spain_WCup_Soccer_1668_.jpg?w=620\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bostonherald.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Spain_WCup_Soccer_1668_.jpg?w=620 620w,https:\/\/www.bostonherald.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Spain_WCup_Soccer_1668_.jpg?w=780 780w,https:\/\/www.bostonherald.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Spain_WCup_Soccer_1668_.jpg?w=810 810w,https:\/\/www.bostonherald.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Spain_WCup_Soccer_1668_.jpg?w=1280 1280w,https:\/\/www.bostonherald.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Spain_WCup_Soccer_1668_.jpg?w=1860 1860w\" bad-src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Players from Spain\u2019s national soccer team arrive at Madrid airport on Monday, July 20, 2026, after being crowned World Cup champions with a victory over Argentina in the final in East Rutherford, N.J., near New York. (AP Photo\/Manu Fernandez)\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-index=\"4\" class=\"mng-ge\" id=\"mng-ge-3\" aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\">\n<div class=\"image-wrapper\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Spain\u2019s Marc Cucurella arrives with the rest of his team...\" class=\"lazyload size-article_inline\" data-sizes=\"auto\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bostonherald.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Spain_WCup_Soccer__8928.jpg?w=620\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bostonherald.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Spain_WCup_Soccer__8928.jpg?w=620 620w,https:\/\/www.bostonherald.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Spain_WCup_Soccer__8928.jpg?w=780 780w,https:\/\/www.bostonherald.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Spain_WCup_Soccer__8928.jpg?w=810 810w,https:\/\/www.bostonherald.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Spain_WCup_Soccer__8928.jpg?w=1280 1280w,https:\/\/www.bostonherald.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Spain_WCup_Soccer__8928.jpg?w=1860 1860w\" bad-src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Spain\u2019s Marc Cucurella arrives with the rest of his team at Madrid airport on Monday, July 20, 2026, after being crowned World Cup champions with a victory over Argentina in the final in East Rutherford, N.J., near New York. (AP Photo\/Manu Fernandez)\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-index=\"5\" class=\"mng-ge\" id=\"mng-ge-4\" aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\">\n<div class=\"image-wrapper\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Players from Spain\u2019s national soccer team pose with the World...\" class=\"lazyload size-article_inline\" data-sizes=\"auto\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bostonherald.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Spain_WCup_Soccer_2139_-1.jpg?w=620\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bostonherald.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Spain_WCup_Soccer_2139_-1.jpg?w=620 620w,https:\/\/www.bostonherald.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Spain_WCup_Soccer_2139_-1.jpg?w=780 780w,https:\/\/www.bostonherald.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Spain_WCup_Soccer_2139_-1.jpg?w=810 810w,https:\/\/www.bostonherald.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Spain_WCup_Soccer_2139_-1.jpg?w=1280 1280w,https:\/\/www.bostonherald.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Spain_WCup_Soccer_2139_-1.jpg?w=1860 1860w\" bad-src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Players from Spain\u2019s national soccer team pose with the World Cup trophy as they arrive at Madrid airport on Monday, July 20, 2026, after being crowned World Cup champions with a victory over Argentina in the final in East Rutherford, N.J., near New York. (AP Photo\/Manu Fernandez)\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><button id=\"mng-gallery-next\" class=\"mng-gallery-next mng-gallery-arrow\" aria-label=\"Next\" type=\"button\"\/><\/ul>\n<div class=\"caption mng-gallery-information-container\"><button class=\"caption-expand mng-gallery-caption-expand\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-label=\"Show caption\">Show Caption<\/button><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"current mng-gallery-current-image-number-display\">1<\/span> of <span class=\"total\">5<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Spanish fans celebrate in central Madrid after Spain defeated Argentina in the World Cup final soccer match in East Rutherford, N.J., near New York, Sunday, July 19, 2026. (AP Photo\/Bernat Armangue)\n<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"#\" class=\"icon-enlarge mng-gallery-fullscreen-expand\" aria-label=\"Expand fullscreen slideshow\"><span>Expand<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The World Cup victory, combined with the Women\u2019s World Cup won by <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/womens-world-cup-final-spain-england-match-summary-232025b71703e9acde0ae39addb16c10\">Spain in 2023<\/a>, makes the European nation the first to hold both the men\u2019s and women\u2019s titles simultaneously.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHonestly, it was very exciting. We preferred not to go to any bar or anything, to experience it at home, focused and very happy, very joyful,\u201d 59-year-old civil servant Gema Rodero said.<\/p>\n<p>Celebrations were dampened, however, after local authorities reported that a 13-year old in Salamanca, northwest of Madrid, had died after a fountain he had climbed onto with friends to celebrate had collapsed.<\/p>\n<p>For many young supporters, the Spanish team\u2019s triumph is their first time witnessing the men\u2019s team lift the trophy \u2014 and the national delirium that has followed.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"related left\"\/>\n<p>Spain today is markedly different from the country in 2010, when the Iberian nation was beset by a debt crisis, 20% unemployment and nationalist regions fighting to win greater autonomy. Today, Spain\u2019s economy is expanding, the unemployment rate has halved and the country is forecast to again be among the Eurozone\u2019s fastest-growing major economies. Nationalist and separatist tensions have considerably cooled.<\/p>\n<p>Ahead of the team\u2019s return, supporters waited in Madrid\u2019s Barajas airport ready to greet them in an arrivals hall, many donning the team\u2019s jerseys and waving Spanish flags.<\/p>\n<p>Groups of supporters also began securing their spots near Cibeles Square late Monday morning, bringing umbrellas to protect against the sun and temperatures that are expected to climb to 35 Celsius (95 Fahrenheit).<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/fifa-world-cup\"><em>See more of AP\u2019s World Cup coverage here<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><em> \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em> \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.bostonherald.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By SUMAN NAISHADHAM MADRID (AP) \u2014 Spain\u2019s World Cupwinning soccer team returned home on Monday, where the 26-man squad is due to meet with Spain\u2019s royals and Prime Minister Pedro S\u00e1nchez before boarding an open-top bus for a raucous parade through central Madrid. Thousands of fans will greet them as they travel down Madrid\u2019s historic [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2509704,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[43],"tags":[494803,494802,494804],"class_list":["post-2509703","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-royalty","tag-spain-parade","tag-spain-world-cup-celebrations","tag-world-cup-celebrations"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Spains-World-Cup-champions-return-home-for-a-royal-welcome.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2509703","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2509703"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2509703\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2509705,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2509703\/revisions\/2509705"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2509704"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2509703"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2509703"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2509703"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}