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| Fabian Ruiz and Gavi with their rewards for helping Spain win the 2026 FIFA World Cup. |
Spain’s World Cup-winning midfielders Fabian Ruiz and Gavi were given a unique hero’s welcome on Wednesday as their hometown of Los Palacios y Villafranca honoured them with tomatoes matching their body weight.
The duo returned to the town, south of Seville, after helping Spain lift the FIFA World Cup in North America. Ruiz, who started in the final against Argentina, and Barcelona midfielder Gavi proudly displayed their winners’ medals during a civic reception attended by local officials and hundreds of cheering residents.
In keeping with a cherished local tradition, both players stepped onto weighing scales to determine the amount of tomatoes they would receive. Ruiz weighed in at 85kg, while Gavi tipped the scales at 68.5kg, with each set to receive the equivalent weight in tomatoes.
Town officials described the presentation as a signature tradition used to celebrate the municipality’s most accomplished athletes.
Former Spain winger Jesus Navas also joined the celebrations. Navas, who became the first footballer from Los Palacios y Villafranca to win the World Cup when Spain triumphed in 2010, was similarly honoured alongside Ruiz after Spain’s UEFA Euro 2024 success.
The ceremony also featured lasting tributes for the three champions. The town’s sports pavilion already carries the names of Navas and Ruiz, while two local football pitches will now be renamed in honour of Ruiz and Gavi.
The town council also announced plans to build a monument celebrating the achievements of the trio.
“The town hall will promote the construction of a monument dedicated to the three champions from Los Palacios,” the council said in a statement.
It added that the monument would serve as a permanent tribute to athletes who have brought pride to the community and whose sporting achievements and personal character continue to inspire generations of children and young people.