Spain's triumphant World Cup squad received a unique welcome home, with stars Fabián Ruiz and Gavi being honored with their weight in tomatoes following their victory.
In a tradition that harks back to Spain's first World Cup win in 2010, the two players were weighed upon their return to Los Palacios y Villafranca, a town in Andalusia known for producing soccer talent. The amount of tomatoes they received corresponded to their body weight. Gavi, who played 85 minutes across two matches in the tournament, weighed in at 68 kilograms (150 pounds), while Ruiz, who contributed 366 minutes and one goal during Spain's World Cup campaign, tipped the scales at 84 kilograms (185 pounds).
In addition to the produce, Ruiz and Gavi were presented with banners featuring Tomatito, the mascot from the 1982 World Cup hosted by Spain. This tomato tradition has previously been observed for other major Spanish victories, including rewarding Jesús Navas after the 2010 World Cup win and Ruiz himself following Spain's Euros triumph in 2024.
Navas, a native of Los Palacios y Villafranca and a member of the 2010 World Cup-winning squad, helped initiate the tomato tradition 16 years ago. The town plans to further commemorate Gavi, Ruiz, and Navas by erecting a monument in their honor.
The celebratory events followed Spain's 1-0 victory over Argentina in the World Cup final on Sunday. The team was also honored with a city-wide parade in Madrid on Monday. In a local tribute, soccer fields in their hometown have been renamed "Fabían Ruiz Football Field" and "Pablo Martín Páez Gavira Football Field."