Spanish stars Fabian Ruiz and Gavi pose with tomatoes on Wednesday- facebook Spanish stars Fabian Ruiz and Gavi received a rather unusual reward after helping Spain win the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Spain defeated Argentina 1-0 in Monday's (as per BST) World Cup final, turning every member of the squad into a national hero. Since their historic victory, the players have been enjoying celebrations and receiving tributes from fans across the country.
The two midfielders returned to their hometown of Los Palacios y Villafranca on Wednesday, where they were gifted tomatoes equivalent to their body weight as part of a long-standing local tradition celebrating major sporting triumphs.
For Ruiz and Gavi, the celebrations continued in a unique fashion in their hometown in Andalusia.
According to American television channel Fox News, Los Palacios y Villafranca has a tradition of rewarding athletes who win major championships with their weight in tomatoes.
Gavi reportedly weighed 68 kilograms (150 pounds), while Ruiz weighed 84 kilograms (185 pounds) and both took tomatoes that weighed their weight.
The tradition dates back to Spain's first World Cup triumph in 2010. Jesús Navas, another footballer from Los Palacios y Villafranca who was part of that victorious squad, helped establish the unusual custom 16 years ago.
The town has since continued the tradition to celebrate major achievements. Navas was also honoured after Spain won Euro 2012, while Ruiz received the same tribute following Spain's Euro 2024 triumph.
In addition to the tomatoes, Ruiz and Gavi were presented with banners featuring Tomatito, the mascot of the 1982 World Cup hosted by Spain. The two World Cup winners were also recognised at local football grounds, which were renamed the "Fabián Ruiz Football Field" and the "Pablo Martín Páez Gavira Football Field" in their honour.
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