MADRID: Celebrations continued in Spain on Monday following the country's second World Cup triumph, with Ferran Torres' injury-time winner against Argentina on Sunday earning him a place alongside Andres Iniesta, who scored the decisive goal in the 2010 final.
Beyond the honour of adding a second star to the national team shirt, the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) and the 26 players in the squad also have significant financial reasons to celebrate.
Winning the 2026 World Cup earned the RFEF 50 million U.S. dollars in prize money from FIFA, while the federation also stands to benefit from increased sponsorship revenue. The Spanish national team is backed by 35 companies across sectors including travel, insurance, telecommunications, sportswear, energy, food and beverages, reports Xinhua.
Spain's status as world champion is also expected to boost the value of its television rights, while sales of replica shirts have already surged across the country. The team's off-white away shirt is now virtually sold out in Spain, with demand also likely to rise internationally.
The triumph also means a substantial payday for the players, each of whom is set to receive a bonus of 756,000 euros (about 863,000 dollars), in addition to a World Cup winner's medal and ring.
Spanish press celebrate World Cup success
Spain's 1-0 victory over Argentina in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final on Sunday night has been widely celebrated in the Spanish press.
Ferran Torres scored the winner in extra time as Spain finally turned its dominance into victory against an opponent that only began to attack after falling behind and failed to register a shot on target in more than 120 minutes of football.
Sports daily Marca led with the headline "Superstars," while Barcelona sports dailies Mundo Deportivo and Sport kept things simple with the headlines "Champions" and "Two-Time Champions," respectively.
Among the general-interest newspapers, El Mundo proclaimed "Our boys are on top of the world", while El País simply ran with "Champions" and highlighted that Argentina "barely created any danger."
Spanish media also criticised Argentina for the post-match brawl. Marca reported that "a punch from (Argentina defender) Nahuel on Rodri was the cause of the fight between (Leandro) Paredes and (Spain duo) Eric Garcia and Gavi," which marred the scenes after the final whistle.
--IANS
