A 13-year-old boy has died after a fountain he was celebrating Spain’s World Cup victory on collapsed.
Two other people were injured in the drama, which occurred just after 12.30am this morning as fans were partying in the historic walled city of Ciudad Rodrigo in the province of Salamanca near the Spanish border.
The teenager was inside the fountain with other youngsters when the upper part of the structure collapsed and fell on top of revellers who were inside it.
Police removed the debris on top of him to free him and rushed him to a nearby health centre but he was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.
The local council said it was declaring three days of mourning overnight.
It said in a statement: ‘The City Council of Ciudad Rodrigo expresses its sorrow and condolences over the death of the 13-year-old child.
‘The entire city of Ciudad Rodrigo mourns this loss and stands with the child’s family and friends in their grief.
‘What should have been a celebration of the Spanish national team’s victory in the World Cup has turned into a tragedy for the entire community of Ciudad Rodrigo.
‘The City Council also wishes a speedy recovery to the other people who were affected by the incident.
Spanish fans celebrate in central Madrid after Spain defeated Argentina in the World Cup final soccer match in East Rutherford, N.J., near New York, Sunday, July 19
The triumph has sparked an outpouring of national pride in football-mad Spain, where many younger supporters had never witnessed the men’s team lift the World Cup since their only previous title came in South Africa in 2010
Spanish national football team supporters wave flags and ignite flares as they celebrate their team’s 1-0 extra-time victory over Argentina in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final at the Fan Zone in Plaza Colon, Madrid, Spain, on July 20
‘As a sign of mourning for this loss, the City Council’s flags will fly at half-mast from July 20 to July 22.’
The fountain where the tragedy occurred is in a spot known locally as the Fat Tree Roundabout in English.
It owes its name to a century-old elm tree that stood there until it had to be removed due to Dutch elm disease.
One traumatised local wrote online: ‘How unfair life is when tears of joy turn into pain. It’s very hard. Strength to the family. Rest in peace.’
Another said: ‘What a great tragedy. Sending hugs and strength to the family. Ciudad Rodrigo is in mourning. Rest in peace, little angel.’
Spain’s World Cup winners were due home on Monday to a heroes’ welcome in Madrid where a million fans are expected to greet them after a night of raucous celebrations across the country.
The triumph has sparked an outpouring of national pride in football-mad Spain, where many younger supporters had never witnessed the men’s team lift the World Cup since their only previous title came in South Africa in 2010.
Fresh from their 1-0 victory over Argentina in Sunday’s final in East Rutherford, United States, coach Luis de la Fuente’s squad is due to land in Madrid at 12.50 pm (10.50am GMT) with the golden trophy.
The players are then expected to be received by King Felipe VI and Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez before climbing aboard an open-top bus for a parade through central Madrid beginning at around 4.30pm.
They will travel from near the Moncloa Palace, the prime minister’s official residence, to Cibeles Square, the central government’s representative in Madrid, Francisco Martin, told Spanish public television.
A ceremony involving the players will then be held at the square, the traditional gathering point for celebrations by the Spanish national team and its supporters.
Around one million people are expected to line the parade route, with additional security and transport measures planned to handle the crowds, Martin said.
A total of 2,050 police officers and 400 Civil Guard personnel will be deployed, he added.
The precise timetable for the festivities had not been fully confirmed on Monday morning, however, with Sanchez scheduled to make a brief visit to Algeria before returning to Spain in the afternoon.
The royal household had also yet to confirm whether the king would attend the celebrations.
The scenes are expected to echo the celebrations that followed Spain’s first World Cup title in 2010, when hundreds of thousands of supporters flooded Madrid’s streets to welcome the team home after their victory in South Africa.
Pictured: The fountain where a 13-year-old boy died after he was celebrating Spain’s World victory
Spanish fans celebrate in central Madrid after Spain defeated Argentina in the World Cup final soccer match in East Rutherford, NJ, near New York, Sunday, July 19
Fans of the Spanish national football team celebrate their team’s victory at the Fan Zone in Plaza Colon, Madrid on July 19
Spain defeated reigning World Cup champions Argentina 1-0, with the lone goal coming from Ferran Torres #7 in the 106th minute of extra time
Spain’s supporters on a motorcycle waves Spain’s flag celebrating victory after the 2026 World Cup final match between Spain and Argentina at Neptuno square in Madrid, on July 19
The capital was already buzzing with activity after the final, where thousands of supporters who gathered in bars and three fan zones had poured out into the streets in celebration
While the country waited for the team’s arrival, celebrations continued overnight from Madrid to Spain’s smallest villages on Sunday night.
The capital was already buzzing with activity after the final, where thousands of supporters who gathered in bars and three fan zones had poured out into the streets in celebration.
Car horns blared, fireworks lit the sky and supporters poured into streets and squares moments after the final whistle, despite a tense final in which Spain struggled for long periods to break down the Argentine defence.
At Madrid’s Colon Square, where a fan zone had been set up for the match, supporters wrapped in Spain’s red-and-yellow flag sang and danced long into the balmy summer night, while others set off flares and fireworks, an AFP journalist observed.
‘Campeones, campeones! (Champions, champions!)’ chanted jubilant fans.
Others shouted ‘Que viva Espana! (long live Spain)’ as they celebrated a triumph that came just two years after Spain’s Euro 2024 victory and with the women’s national team already holding the world title won in 2023.
‘You have faced each challenge with the conviction of a great team and have carried the name of Spain to the very top,’ the Spanish Royal Household said on social media platform X, hailing a ‘reward’ stemming in particular from ‘exemplary commitment in every match’.
‘Today, we celebrate a title. Tomorrow we will remember a legend,’ it added.
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