The streets of Madrid were already packed as clocks approached midnight in Spain’s capital, but it wasn’t until Ferran Torres’ winning goal in the 106th minute of Sunday’s World Cup Final that fans had something to applaud.
Soon thereafter, referee Slavko Vinčić blew the game’s final whistle to secure Spain’s 1-0 win over Argentina, igniting a massive celebration at the Plaza de Colón and throughout the city of 3.4 million.
Adults were seen weeping tears of joy in wire photos as their fellow citizens lit road flares and blew into plastic horns. Some even performed Norway’s Viking row, which had become a staple for that team throughout its tourney run.
Of course, much of the evening was spent nervously standing at public watch parties as Argentina and Spain remained deadlocked in a 0-0 tie.
There were big screen televisions erected across Spain for Sunday’s final, as around 20,000 people were expected at Plaza de Colón and another 15,000 fans at the Madrid Rio park in the center of town.
Other large cities, such as Barcelona, had similar public viewing areas. And, as was the case in Madrid, thousands were seen flooding the streets to celebrate the country’s second World Cup victory.
There weren’t much in the way of fireworks or public drinking, but fans get light some flares
Spanish fans celebrate in central Madrid after Spain defeated Argentina in the World Cup final
Adults were seen weeping tears of joy in wire photos as their fellow citizens lit road flares and blew into plastic horns in the wake of the 1-0 win over Argentina in the World Cup final
Madrid’s Plaza de Colón proved to be the busiest party in Spain on Sunday evening
Spain supporters watch the FIFA World Cup 2026 Final at the public fan zone in Barcelona
While Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez was awarding championship medals to Team Spain, his constituents were seen in viral videos stopping traffic to dance and chant along major roadways.
Many drivers even got into the act by honking along to the blaring music.
Even in quieter areas of Madrid, fans were still heard tooting horns out of apartment windows and doing celebratory call-and-response chants from one building to another.
Earlier in the day, cameras caught the nervous moments when fans ran to grab front-row seats at Plaza de Colón. Despite the dangers presented by thousands of fans hurrying to claim a piece of real estate, there were no immediate reports of any injuries.
But nothing went viral quite like the scene in the immediate aftermath of Torres’ goal, as seemingly everyone in the country of 47 million appeared to simultaneously jump into each other’s arms.
‘It was a goal scored by 47 million people,’ Torres said after the win.
