The Madrid City Council will close traffic from early afternoon on Sunday around the giant screens in Colón. The use of public transport is recommended, and Metro and EMT will be reinforced.
The city is preparing for a historic event. The Spanish national team will play the World Cup final against Argentina this Sunday, and Madrid is ready for fans to experience the match in the streets. The City Council, led by José Luis Martínez-Almeida, has designed a special operation that includes traffic closures, giant screens, and a security reinforcement with 1,400 personnel from the National Police and Civil Guard.
The epicentre of the celebration will be the Plaza de Colón, where two large screens will be set up to follow the match. The delegate for Urban Planning, Environment, and Mobility, Borja Carabante, has detailed that traffic closures will begin early Sunday afternoon, affecting the streets Serrano, Génova, Goya, and la Castellana. The municipal recommendation is clear: use public transport to avoid traffic jams and facilitate mobility.
Transport and security reinforcement
The City Council has announced a significant reinforcement of public transport services. Metro de Madrid will increase frequencies on the lines serving the Colón area, while the Municipal Transport Company (EMT) will divert some lines and reinforce others to connect with viewing points. Delegate Carabante has assured that the City Council is “already working on the eventual celebration of the World Cup,” both in the players' journey from Barajas airport to the celebration site and in the event's organisation itself.
Regarding security, the central government's delegate in the Community of Madrid, Francisco Martín, has confirmed that the operation includes 550 National Police officers and 240 Civil Guard officers, in addition to municipal police personnel. A contingent that could remain on Monday if Spain is crowned champion. “Madrid residents can be assured,” Almeida guaranteed, in response to criticisms about a supposed improvisation in the installation of the second screen.
The celebration, in Cibeles if there is victory
If the national team manages to defeat Argentina, central Madrid will become the stage for a grand celebration. The mayor has confirmed that, in the event of victory, a mass event will be held on Monday in the Plaza de Cibeles, following the model of the Euro 2024. “We are working with the Spanish Football Federation on a scheme similar to that of two years ago,” Almeida explained in a radio interview. The previous experience, according to the mayor, guarantees that the city has the capacity to organise an event of this nature without setbacks.
The exchange of accusations between Almeida and the government delegate, Francisco Martín, has marked the lead-up to the match. The former has labelled Martín as a “prophet of doom” for his warnings about improvisation in logistics. “They cast a shadow of suspicion beforehand to see if something could happen later and blame it,” Almeida criticised, insisting that Madrid residents can be assured because the operation is perfectly coordinated.
For fans who want to experience the final in the streets, the City Council recommends arriving early at the Colón area, where the giant screens will be operational from 20:00 hours. The match begins at 21:00 hours. In the event of victory, the celebration will move to Cibeles on Monday, with a route yet to be defined. The city is ultimately preparing for a magical night that could end with the third star on the national team's chest.
You may also like
