Spain´s World Cup Team Triumphal Madrid Parade
This is the moment the freshly crowned FIFA World Cup champions ride an open-top bus flanked by a police escort through packed streets in Madrid after returning home to Spain from their historic final victory in New York.
The footage was obtained from the Spanish National Police on 20th July and shows the scenes in the city of Madrid, in the Spanish autonomous community of Madrid.
The video shows the squad hoisting the trophy from the top deck as officers on motorcycles and horseback clear the route, a helicopter tracking the convoy from above as flag-waving fans crowd the pavements.
The team touched down at Barajas airport at 2.30pm local time on Monday, 20th June, having beaten Argentina 1-0 in the World Cup final held in New Jersey the previous night, on 19th June.
It is Spain’s second men’s World Cup title, 16 years after their first, which had been secured against the Netherlands in South Africa in 2010.
The central government’s delegation in Madrid estimated that around 1.8 million people lined the route from the Moncloa palace to the Plaza de Cibeles, where the celebrations were centred, in 34-degree-Celsius (93-degree-Fahrenheit) heat.
Before reaching the square, the squad was received by King Felipe VI, Queen Letizia and their daughters, Princess Leonor and Princess Sofía, at the Zarzuela palace on the outskirts of the capital.
King Felipe said: “It’s been an epic triumph. It’s been a privilege and a joy for the four of us to see you play in the final and to be able to celebrate with you that moment of lifting the cup, with immense thanks from all of Spain.”
He added: “You’ve suffered, you’ve come home bruised and tired, you’ve endured some criticism, but what is all that compared with the joy of bringing the cup home?”
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez then hosted the team at the Moncloa palace, thanking players and staff “for the game, for the effort and for the victory”.
Team captain Rodri said: “Winning for you country is the most beautiful thing there is. This generation grew up watching Casillas and Iniesta lift the cup and having been able to do that today is the biggest thing you can do in football.”
Madrid’s mayor, Jose Luis Martinez Almeida, said: “Even though there were thousands and thousands of people on the streets last night, there were practically no incidents in the city. We’re getting everything ready for tonight.
“The thing we’re focusing on is how to celebrate and greet a team that will live forever in our memory.”
Spanish postal operator Correos has announced a commemorative red stamp bearing the word CAMPEONES and two stars, one for each of the country’s World Cup wins.
