By SUMAN NAISHADHAM Associated Press
MADRID (AP) — Spain’s World Cupwinning soccer team is set to return home on Monday, where the 26-man squad will be greeted by Spanish royalty and Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez before boarding an open-top bus for a parade through central Madrid.
Throngs of fans will greet them as they travel from near Moncloa Palace, the prime minister’s official residence, to Cibeles Square.
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.
Spain walked off with the trophy at Sunday’s final after defeating now-dethroned champion Argentina 1-0 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. It was only the second time — after a 2010 victory in South Africa — that Spain won the title.
The Spanish capital erupted into celebrations after the final whistle, with thousands of supporters pouring into the streets from bars and restaurants, many draped in Spanish flags or wearing the team’s colors.
Crowds packed Madrid’s Puerta de Sol and other major squares — singing, dancing and setting off flares while car horns blared throughout the capital.
Many celebrated Sunday’s victory long into the wee hours of Monday morning.
“I’m very happy. I’ve slept three or four hours, but for the team, I’ll do whatever it takes,” said 19 year-old Victor Álvarez early Monday.
The World Cup title, combined with the Women’s World Cup won by Spain in 2023, makes the European nation the first to hold both the men’s and women’s titles simultaneously.
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.
For many young Spanish supporters, the triumph is their first time witnessing the men’s team lift the trophy — and the national delirium that has followed.
Ahead of the team’s return, supporters waited in Madrid’s Barajas airport ready to greet them in an arrivals hall, many donning the team’s jerseys and waving Spanish flags.
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).
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See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here