10 things you may have missed during Spain’s 2026 World Cup celebration parade

Spain’s second men’s World Cup title sparked scenes of celebration rarely seen in the country’s history, with an estimated two million people filling the streets of Madrid to welcome home Luis de la Fuente and his 26-man squad. Between the official ceremonies and the open-top bus parade, there was no shortage of memorable, funny and downright bizarre moments.

Rodri almost left the World Cup trophy behind

The celebrations began with official visits to the Royal Palace and the Prime Minister’s residence, where cameras caught several awkward and amusing moments. Álex Baena greeted Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez with his head down, Borja Iglesias gave him a friendly pat on the arm, and Luis de la Fuente shared a relaxed laugh with the Spanish leader.

The players also drew attention with their custom Loewe suits, featuring pale blue shirts and an unconventional jacket sleeve design. The outfits reportedly carried a price tag of around $5,500.

The biggest scare came as the team prepared to leave one engagement for the next. Rodri had to be called back after almost leaving the World Cup trophy behind.

Sunbathing, Trump-style hats and dancing in the streets

Once the formalwear was swapped for more comfortable clothes, the celebrations really took off.

Ferran Torres, Marcos Llorente and Marc Pubill – dubbed the team’s “sun clan” – celebrated shirtless on top of the bus, soaking up the sunshine while sipping sparkling wine.

Final hero Mikel Oyarzabal wore a cap inspired by Donald Trump’s famous campaign hats, except it read “Make Spain Great Again.” The hat didn’t survive the entire parade, though, as it was knocked off by a tree branch during the route.

Fans showered the players with scarves, soccer balls, Spanish flags and homemade gifts. Luis de la Fuente happily accepted a cardboard replica of the World Cup featuring his own face, while another banner called for a fictional boxing showdown between Gavi and Argentina’s Leandro Paredes. One particularly creative sign even portrayed Lamine Yamal’s younger brother, Keyne, as a saint.

The bus quickly turned into a dance floor. Rodri showed off his moves before Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams and Marc Cucurella joined in.

Not to be outdone, one fan climbed onto the roof of a bus shelter to perform for the players, balancing precariously as the squad watched and laughed.

Borja Iglesias took charge of the music throughout the parade and embraced the nickname “The Panda” when Yeremy Pino handed him a stuffed panda toy.

Sunglasses also became an unexpected theme of the day. Pedro Porro wore two pairs at once, Mikel Merino opted for oversized frames, while Marcos Llorente stuck with his trademark yellow lenses as he celebrated alongside fellow Atlético Madrid players Álex Baena and Marc Pubill.

Lamine Yamal reminded everyone he is still just a teenager. At one point he grabbed a cone full of candy and happily snacked on it before borrowing Alejandro Grimaldo’s plastic crown and wearing it himself.

The night ended with one final comic mishap when Fabián Ruiz accidentally hit Aymeric Laporte on the head with the World Cup trophy as it was passed around the bus.

After a day full of laughter, dancing and unforgettable moments, Spain’s celebrations concluded at Madrid’s iconic Cibeles fountain, where a nation toasted its newly crowned two-time world champions.

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