World Cup hero Ferran Torres attracted the attention of Donald Trump’s White House after donning a cap emblazoned with ‘Make Spain Great Again’ during the national team’s open-top bus parade on Monday.
The Barcelona star came off the bench to score the winning goal on Sunday’s final to defeat reigning champions Argentina 1-0 at the MetLife Stadium in New York.
With the briefest of turnarounds, Spain were soon back on their private plane heading for Madrid, where they took part in a jubilant victory parade less than 24 hours after their triumph Stateside.
But the US continued to pay attention to the Spanish squad after they left their shores after spotting Torres’ cap, which came in the same red hue made infamous by Trump’s 2016 campaign ‘Make America Great Again’ baseball hats.
The White House’s official X account commented that ‘everyone wants in on the movement’ after spying the hat.
The ‘Make America Great Again’ slogan was first deployed during the 1980 presidential campaign of Ronald Reagan, before it was co-opted by Trump over three decades later.
Ferran Torres was the subject of interest from the White House after sporting a ‘Make Spain Great Again’
Donald Trump’s administration assumed that the Spain striker was positively referencing their own ‘Make America Great Again’ message
Contracted to ‘MAGA’, the slogan has become a byword for Trump’s committed base over the last 10 years.
The last decade has also seen the construction of the phrase used ironically, with ‘Spain’ not alone as an entity looking to become ‘great again’ – without the political overtones of the original slogan.
In a footballing sense, Torres was able to help fulfil the prophecy on his cap, and said after the final whistle that the winning goal belonged to his nation, not its scorer.
‘I think in the end, the goal belongs to 47 million people, not to me,’ he said at full-time in an emotional post-match interview. ‘Destiny was written, it was made for us to win.’
Torres’ cap was not the only eye-catching message at Spain’s trophy parade, with Lamine Yamal holding up a sign which referred to Argentina midfielder Leandro Paredes’ post-match attack on a number of opposition players.
Incensed by defeat, Paredes disgracefully throttled Eric Garcia before shoving Gavi to the ground, sparking an on-pitch melee.
Yamal poked fun at the display, posing next to a sign which read: ‘Velada del ano VII: Paredes vs Gavi’.
The Velada del ano is a celebrity amateur boxing match in Spain which, like Misfits in the UK, often features popular streamers.
Boca Juniors midfielder Paredes was also fortunate to not be sent off in regular time for a foul on the edge of the box which presented Yamal with a last-breath free-kick before extra-time.
The Barcelona star stressed that his winning goal in the World Cup final belonged to the people of Spain, rather than him alone
Lamine Yamal was another Spanish star whose message on the parade attracted attention – poking fun at Argentina’s rough-housing Leandro Paredes
Argentina were widely condemned for their behaviour after losing the final – but they have maintained a siege mentality following the game.
Midfielder Enzo Fernandez, who was sent off in normal time for a reckless challenge on Pau Cubarsi, claimed that they had represented their nation in the ‘best way possible’.
After lifting the trophy in front of a full house of their adoring fans, La Roja opted not to ring in their victory with a night of partying in the city that never sleeps.
Instead, Golden Ball winner Rodri got the party started in transit, leading a round of singing on the team bus as the jubilant players sped back to their hotel for a team meal, before moving on to Newark Airport.
Back at the hotel, noted wine connoisseur Marcos Llorente enjoyed a bottle of Chateau Rayas Chateauneuf-du-Pape Reserve 2014 – which costs £1,009 to uncork – in his room with team-mates Ferran Torres and Marc Pubil.
The stars then boarded the Airbus A350-941 waiting for them – clad in their team’s livery – and took off shortly after 2am local time.
Spain’s players landed at Madrid’s Barajas Airport at 2.30pm local time, and stepped out onto the tarmac with the World Cup trophy held aloft.
After meeting King Felipe of Spain and the Royal Family, they then took part in a parade which led them to Plaza de Cibeles – the site of Real Madrid’s frequent trophy celebrations.
