The City Council of Madrid and the Government Delegation have presented the security measures for the final on Sunday between Spain and Argentina. Several streets in the city centre will be closed, and public transport is recommended.
The security operation for the World Cup final between Spain and Argentina will involve 1,400 personnel from the National Police and Civil Guard, as announced this Friday by the Government Delegate in Madrid, Francisco Martín. The operation will cover both the match on Sunday and the possible celebration on Monday if the Spanish team is crowned champion.
Traffic cuts and public transport reinforcement
From early afternoon on Sunday, the City Council will begin closing off traffic in Plaza de Colón and the surrounding streets: Serrano, Goya, Castellana, and Génova. The Urban Planning, Environment and Mobility Delegate, Borja Carabante, explained that the closures will be extended depending on the influx of the public.
Carabante has recommended the use of public transport to reach the area and announced Metro reinforcements, diversions of EMT lines, and more buses towards the celebration and viewing points for the match. The aim is to facilitate the movement of the thousands of fans expected in the city centre.
Security measures for Sunday
For the day of the final, the deployment will include 550 national police and 240 civil guards, who will monitor the streets and any spontaneous celebrations at the end of the match. Francisco Martín detailed that the operation has been coordinated with all the involved administrations to ensure order and safety.
The match will take place at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey (United States), so the final's timing (local time) will allow Madrilenians to follow the match in the afternoon and take to the streets afterwards, in the event of victory.
Possible celebration on Monday afternoon
If Spain wins the World Cup, the team plans to celebrate on Monday afternoon in Madrid. The route will start at the Moncloa interchange and will peak at Plaza de Cibeles, as announced by the Government Delegate. The details of the itinerary will be decided by the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF).
On Monday, an additional 500 national police and 150 civil guards will join the operation, bringing the total to 1,400 personnel over the two days. Martín noted that surveillance will focus on the route and the gathering at Cibeles, where a large influx of fans is expected.
Almeida calls for civility and predicts a 2-0 scoreline
The Mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, has called on citizens to set an example of civility and coexistence during the celebration. In an interview on Onda Cero, he predicted a 2-0 victory for Spain and encouraged Madrilenians to support the team.
“What we need to do on Sunday is to cheer for Spain, support our team, and lift them up to win,” he stated. Almeida acknowledged that the match will be “extremely difficult” but is confident that Spain will impose its style and take the title. He also reminded that if they win, the celebration will be at Cibeles on Monday.
For fans who want to follow the final from home or at the giant screens that will be set up in the capital, it is recommended to plan their journey in advance and avoid driving in the city centre. The combination of traffic cuts and high demand for public transport will make it difficult to move by private vehicle.
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