Published on 22/07/2026 - 8:49 GMT+2•Updated 9:49

Ferran Torres scored the goal that secured the 2026 World Cup title against Argentina, in the 106th minute of the final played at the New York/New Jersey stadium. A day later, during the victory parade through the streets of Madrid, the striker appeared bare-chested and wearing a red cap emblazoned with the phrase "Make Spain Great Again", a direct adaptation of Donald Trump’s campaign slogan, "Make America Great Again".

Images of Torres greeting fans from the open-top bus, cap on his head, spread rapidly on social media. The cap is not part of the official MAGA merchandise line, but a customised version of the slogan with a reference to Spain. Before the parade, the squad had visited King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia at the Zarzuela Palace, and also the prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, at Moncloa.

Mixed reactions

The gesture prompted very different interpretations among fans and media. Some took it as a joke with no deeper meaning; others saw it as an ironic nod to Trump, or even as a possible dig at Sánchez. It has also been pointed out that the formula "Make Spain great again" has been used in the past by the right-wing party Vox, which fuelled the political readings of the incident.

Torres has offered no public explanation for why he chose the cap or whether there was a specific intention behind the message, so for the time being the various theories remain open to each person’s interpretation.

Sumar accuses Torres of being behind a vulture fund

The row was not just about the cap. Alberto Ibáñez, an MP for Compromís–Sumar, on Tuesday shared incorrect information when he claimed that Ferran Torres’s company was acting as a "vulture fund" and had acquired "20 homes in Valencia" to speculate. However, as ‘El Español’ (source in Spanish) reported and the player’s camp confirmed to the outlet, that claim does not reflect reality.

Sources close to the player explain that the main property asset of Eleven Future Invest, the company of Spain’s No 7, is a tertiary-use building located next to Mestalla, made up of 50 offices rented to businesses, and not a stock of residential properties intended for speculation.

As for his residential portfolio, Ferran Torres owns four homes: his residence in Barcelona, two properties in Valencia and another house in the town where he spends his holidays. He also owns a plot of land on which he plans to build in the future.

The controversy arose from information published by ‘Forbes’, which stated that the forward has "20 properties strategically spread" between the Valencian Community and Catalonia.

On the back of that reference, Ibáñez stepped up his criticism and called for legal reform to prevent "companies and vulture funds such as Eleven Future Invest, Ferran Torres’s company which, according to ‘Forbes’, already hoards 20 homes in Valencia, from buying houses to speculate".

Cucurella also in hot water with Argentina

The defender, a new Real Madrid signing, was one of the liveliest during the celebrations in Madrid. After the official receptions at the Zarzuela Palace and La Moncloa, the party moved on to Plaza de Cibeles. There, each player walked on stage to a song of his own choosing, and Marc once again chose ‘Malbec’, the track by Duki and Bizarrap which he had already used during the celebrations after Euro 2024.

The gesture did not go unnoticed in Argentina for two reasons. The artists behind the song are both Argentinian (Duki and Bizarrap) and the verses: "Llegué a la ciudad y me reciben como si fuera un boss. Cada vez más pegao y ni yo sé cómo pasó. Hoy festejamos y mi equipo salió campeón. Adentro del party, afuera en la calle, se escucha mi voz", which did not exactly help either...

Part of the fanbase and some media interpreted the choice of song as a provocation towards the Albiceleste after the outcome of the tournament. The daily ‘TyC Sports’, for example, went so far as to describe it as a "taunt" aimed at the Argentine national team.