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Sixteen years later, Spain will once again play in a World Cup final. 2-0 victory against France unleashed euphoria among Spanish fans and also among some of the country’s best-known figures. From the royal family to political leaders, including the 2010 world champions, who watched the semi-final in Dallas, celebrations were not long in coming.
One of the most talked-about images has been that of the royal family celebrating the qualification. Felipe VI, Queen Letizia, Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofia watched the match together on television wearing the white jersey of the Spanish national team, personalized with their names and the number 26.
In the video, shared by the Royal House, all four appear seated on a sofa, watching the match. The celebration left some unusual images of the royal family: applause, raised arms, and hugs. With the final whistle, Felipe VI got up from the sofa and celebrated the qualification with the rest of the family.
“Spain is in the final!”, celebrated the Royal House on social media. “You have once again shown why you are one of the great teams in the world. Now, with an entire country by your side, the time has come to fight for the title. Thank you for making us enjoy this journey. Go for it all!”, added the message.
The 2010 champions, in the stands
The semifinal also brought together in Dallas some of the protagonists of the only World Cup won by Spain. Former Barcelona players Xavi Hernández and Carles Puyol, and former Real Madrid players Iker Casillas and Sergio Ramos watched from the stands the match that, sixteen years after South Africa, has once again qualified the Spanish team for a World Cup final. There were also other champions from 2010, such as Fernando Llorente, Jesús Navas, or Pepe Reina.
Among the well-known faces was also Javier Bardem, who has not missed any of Spain’s matches in this World Cup. Also present at the match were actor Timothée Chalamet, in a France jersey; David and Victoria Beckham, and sprinters Usain Bolt and Noah Lyles.
One of the most unusual scenes of the night, however, also took place in the stands. American streamer IShowSpeed met Ana Botín, president of Banco Santander, and Juan Roig, president of Mercadona, initially unaware of who they were. Botín introduced Mercadona to him as “the Walmart of Spain” and Santander as “the JPMorgan of Europe,” before taking advantage of the live broadcast to invite him to open an account with Openbank. All this, in front of hundreds of thousands of viewers who were following the content creator’s stream.
Illa and Sánchez also celebrate the pass to the final
The qualification has also generated political reactions. The president of the Generalitat, Salvador Illa, celebrated the triumph with a brief message on social media: “Team, talent and ambition. To the final!”. The president of the Spanish government, Pedro Sánchez, was more effusive. “Spectacular! To the final!”, he wrote. “Once again, the Spanish team makes us dream. Vamos, España!”, he added.
Spain will play the second World Cup final in its history on Sunday. Sixteen years after the 2010 South Africa title, Luis de la Fuente’s team will once again have the opportunity to lift the World Cup.