Ferran Torres extra-time strike crowns Spain world champions as Foios celebrates its hometown hero

The decisive strike

Spain lifted the World Cup for the second time after a tense final in New Jersey that stretched deep into extra time. The only goal arrived in the 106th minute when Ferran Torres, who had come on as a substitute in the 62nd minute, met a cross at the far post and steered the ball past the Argentine goalkeeper. Torres immediately spoke of a collective effort.

The goal was from 47 million people, not mine or the 26 players. The destiny was written and it was meant for us to win, far from our people.

Luis de la Fuente had used Torres as a super-sub throughout the tournament; the forward started only the opening group match against Cape Verde. His introduction for Mikel Oyarzabal proved decisive, echoing the role Andrés Iniesta played in the 2010 final.

Foios erupts

In Foios, a town of roughly 8,000 inhabitants among Valencia's orange groves, the night turned into a collective roar. A giant screen in the Plaza del Pueblo had been in place since the round of 16, and the square was so crowded that only the fountain kept it from being completely packed. The moment the ball hit the net, a neighbour described the sensation as "an explosion of euphoria" that made the ground tremble.

Foios today is the centre of the universe. It gives us satisfaction and pride. It's as if a meteorite had fallen on us, without the negative consequences.

Mayor Sergi Ruiz said he was at home when his son called him screaming to come to the square. Laura, who works at a bakery on the plaza and is a distant relative of the player, had already gone to bed to be up at 04:30 but woke to find the news on her phone. She had a feeling Torres would score.

From personal crisis to 'shark' mentality

Torres's path to glory was far from linear. In early 2023, after the Qatar World Cup, he fell into what he later described as "a bottomless pit." He began working with sports psychologist José Ángel Caperán, attending multiple therapy sessions a week, and slowly rebuilt his confidence. Out of that work came his alter ego, the 'Shark', built on a refusal to sink.

I have been a very criticised person, but destiny is written and God gives things to those who deserve them most.

The footballer, born on 29 February 2000, had already faced the separation of his parents at age five while living away from home at Valencia's Paterna academy. His sister Arantxa, six years older, became a constant source of support. Both carry an anchor tattoo with the phrase "I refuse to sink."

Art celebrates history

Barcelona-based Italian street artist Salvatore Benintende, known as Tvboy, turned the sporting moment into public art. On a wall in the city he painted a mural of Torres kissing the World Cup trophy in a Spain shirt, with the words "Making History!" beside it.

While I was painting this mural, a girl passed by and shouted: 'Mum, it's Ferran Torres!' I smiled. That's when I understood that art also connects generations.

Tvboy has previously dedicated murals to Leo Messi, Lamine Yamal and Alexia Putellas, but the speed of this creation, hours after the final, shows how quickly the image of Torres became iconic.

Honouring a local legend

The victory has already prompted political gestures in Foios. The conservative Partido Popular called for Torres to be named Hijo Predilecto (favourite son) of the town, while the sitting mayor, Sergi Ruiz of Compromís, said the council would begin the necessary procedures. The local sports field already bears his name, and each summer he holds a football camp for children there. Torres, who was the first recipient of the town's male sports merit award in 2024, had earlier told ABC that his lifelong friends are "those from my village, Foios, and the next village, Albalat."