The Spanish national team, newly crowned world champions, parades through the streets of Madrid in a convertible bus before nearly two million people, according to the Government Delegation.
The red tide has coloured Madrid. The Government Delegation in the capital estimates that 1,800,000 people have taken to the streets to accompany the Spanish football team in the celebration of their second World Cup, won on Sunday in the United States. This figure, according to official sources, continues to grow as the convertible bus moves towards its destination: the Cibeles square.
A triumphant route through the heart of the capital
The itinerary began late in the afternoon at the Palacio de la Moncloa, after official receptions with the Kings and the Prime Minister. From there, the convoy has travelled along Princesa, Alberto Aguilera, Carranza, Sagasta, Génova — in the opposite direction to usual —, Goya, Serrano, the Puerta de Alcalá, Alfonso XII and Montalbán. At each stretch, fans have formed a human carpet of red shirts, flags, and chants.
The players, dressed in commemorative shirts of their victory, have not stopped interacting with the public: dancing, taking selfies, signing autographs, and singing along to the anthems playing from the bus's speakers. The World Cup trophy, shining, passes from hand to hand among the footballers, who show it to the crowd amidst cheers.
The party at Cibeles, the epicentre of the night
The final point of the route is the Palacio de Cibeles, home to the Madrid City Hall, where more than 120,000 people are already waiting, according to municipal estimates. There, on a stage set up for the occasion, musical performances are scheduled from groups such as Arde Bogotá, Viva Suecia, Ana Mena, Lola Índigo and Aitana, although the programme is running late due to the speed of the parade and the density of the crowd.
For the Madrid reader who has not yet joined the party, it is important to know that access to the Cibeles area is restricted from early afternoon. The City Hall recommends using public transport — Metro and Cercanías are reinforcing their services until dawn — and avoiding driving in the centre, where traffic cuts will remain in place until after midnight.
The day of celebration began with institutional events at Zarzuela and Moncloa, where the players were received by the Kings and the Prime Minister. After the protocol, they changed from suits into shirts with the second star and boarded the convertible bus. The image of the expedition, with the trophy raised, has gone around the world.
The Government Delegation has deployed a security operation with more than 2,000 National and Municipal Police officers, in addition to emergency services. So far, no serious incidents have been reported, only some cases of fainting and minor injuries in the crowd, according to sources from Samur-Civil Protection.
Those who could not get to the centre are following the party from the giant screens set up in districts such as Vallecas, Carabanchel or Usera, where popular festivities have also been organised. The capital, in short, breathes football and national pride. And it does so on a grand scale: nearly two million people demonstrate it.
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