Spain’s World Cup-winning midfielders Gavi and Fabian Ruiz have been given their bodyweight in tomatoes and had football pitches named after them in an extraordinary homecoming tribute in their Andalusian birthplace.
The pair returned to Los Palacios y Villafranca, near Seville, after helping Spain lift the 2026 World Cup – the country’s second global title – with a 1-0 victory over Argentina in New York last Sunday.
Local authorities staged an emotional celebration that mixed deep civic pride with an unusual local custom: gifting each player a quantity of tomatoes equal to his weight.
According to Spanish daily Marca, Gavi received 68.5kg of tomatoes, while Fabian Ruiz was handed 84.5kg, in line with a long-standing agricultural tradition in the area.
Pitches renamed and monument planned
The recognition went far beyond the tomato tribute.
The town council of Los Palacios y Villafranca announced that football pitches in the municipality will now bear the names of Gavi and Fabian Ruiz, ensuring the World Cup winners are permanently inscribed in the local sporting landscape.
Officials also revealed that work is beginning on a commemorative monument in honour of the duo, underlining their status as the most successful footballers to emerge from the town.
Veteran Spain international Jesus Navas attended the ceremony, lending additional star power and national resonance to what was, at heart, a proud local celebration of two home-grown champions.
World Cup triumph over Argentina
Spain’s latest World Cup triumph came 14 years after their first, in 2010.
Luis de la Fuente’s side defeated Argentina 1-0 in the final played in New York, securing the trophy for only the second time in the nation’s history.
Gavi and Fabian Ruiz were central figures in Spain’s midfield throughout the tournament, their performances widely praised in Spanish and international media. Their return to Los Palacios y Villafranca has been seen locally as the crowning moment of a remarkable journey from small-town pitches to the pinnacle of world football.
Gavi calls against punishing Argentina players
The celebrations in Spain have been overshadowed to a degree by an incident at the end of the World Cup final, when some Argentina players allegedly confronted Gavi after the final whistle.
World governing body FIFA has opened an investigation into the altercation, which occurred during the post-match chaos as emotions ran high on both sides.
Speaking on the sidelines of the tribute in his hometown, Gavi made clear he did not want retribution.
He said he did not see any need to sanction the Argentina players involved in the incident, despite the ongoing FIFA inquiry.
His stance has been interpreted by many in Spain as a call for calm and sportsmanship in the aftermath of an intensely fought final.
Local pride in global success
Los Palacios y Villafranca, known for its agricultural output and particularly its tomatoes, has embraced the two midfielders as symbols of what the town can achieve on the world stage.
By combining a quirky local tradition – the tomato tribute – with permanent honours such as pitch renamings and a planned monument, the municipality has sought to weave the players’ World Cup success into the town’s identity.
For Gavi and Fabian Ruiz, the ceremony marked a full-circle moment: from youngsters on local fields to world champions returning as icons, laden with trophies – and crates of tomatoes.
