Spain's World Cup-winning squad flew out of New York within hours of beating Argentina in Sunday night's final, skipping any celebration in the city and heading straight back to Madrid. Luis de la Fuente's side secured a dogged victory over a difficult Argentina team at MetLife Stadium, just across the river from Manhattan, to land a second World Cup for the nation.
Despite lifting the trophy in front of a full house of adoring fans, La Roja chose not to mark the win with a night out 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, Marcos Llorente, a noted wine enthusiast, opened a bottle of Chateau Rayas Chateauneuf-du-Pape Reserve 2014, which costs £1,009, and drank it in his room with teammates Ferran Torres and Marc Pubill. The squad then boarded an Airbus A350-941 painted in the team's livery and took off for Madrid shortly after 2am local time.
Before leaving the tarmac in New York, the team posed for a group photo with de la Fuente.
Trophy parade planned for Plaza de Cibeles
Spain's players landed at Madrid's Barajas Airport at 2.30pm local time on Monday and stepped out onto the tarmac holding the World Cup trophy aloft. The reasoning behind flying out immediately after the final is thought to be that the team will be welcomed with a trophy parade at Plaza de Cibeles, the picturesque square where Real Madrid traditionally hold their own celebrations. The players are expected to get a little downtime before heading there to start the party on home soil.
According to Spanish outlet La Razon, officials in Madrid organized a secure welcome expected to draw thousands of fans as the players travel to Plaza de Cibeles aboard an open-top bus.
Once onboard the flight home, Aymeric Laporte posed with the World Cup trophy and gave it a tender kiss while seated, soaking up what was described as a once-in-a-generation feeling, and Alex Baena was also pictured holding the trophy. Marc Cucurella and Gavi posed together in front of the team's Airbus before departure, and Lamine Yamal carried his bags off the plane in Madrid, including an oversized Hermes Birkin bag.
Keyne Yamal steals the spotlight
Spain had earlier celebrated on the pitch with family and friends, including seven-time Grand Slam champion Carlos Alcaraz, who joined in the fun. Players were draped in flags from their home regions as they posed for photos with loved ones.
The show was stolen by Spain's unofficial talisman: Keyne, the toddler brother of teenage star Lamine Yamal. Dressed in a replica Spain jersey with his brother's No. 19 and his own first name on the back, Keyne darted onto the pitch at MetLife Stadium and ran straight into Lamine's arms. The prodigious Barcelona star lifted his little brother into the air before gently placing him back down and putting a red "Lamine" baseball hat on his head.
Keyne also tried on a different hat while roaming the pitch. A New Jersey State Trooper took off his own cap so Keyne could try it on, and the boy politely handed it back to the officer afterward.
A cigar and a message from Yamal's girlfriend
Yamal also posed on the pitch with his girlfriend, Ines Garcia, who shared the photo with the caption: "You did it. Congratulations, my love - you're a world champion." Later, at the team hotel, Yamal was photographed lighting a large cigar while waiting in a lift on his journey home.
Hours later, the Spain squad took part in a celebratory parade through the capital, showing off the World Cup trophy to their fans. During the celebrations, Yamal held up a sign reading: "Event of the year: Paredes vs Gavi."
Ugly scenes after the final whistle
The celebrations stood in stark contrast to the ugly scenes on the pitch immediately after the final whistle, when Argentina players including Leandro Paredes attacked Spain's Eric Garcia and Rodri. Paredes throttled Garcia and pushed Barcelona midfielder Gavi to the ground, while Nahuel Molina punched Rodri in the torso as he ran past.
Argentina defender Nicolas Otamendi later complained to DAZN Spain that rival players had been criticizing Argentina to the media in the build-up to the final. Argentina's players also turned their backs on Spain's trophy lift, a bitter final act to a campaign as notable for its thuggishness as its strong tournament play.
