FIFA World Cup 2026: Celebrations in Spain turned tragic after the Men’s national football team was crowned World champions for the second time in its history. A 13-year-old boy died during celebrations in Spain. Apart from the tragic death of the teenager, several other people were injured, according to local authorities in the country.Â
13-year-old boy dies in Spain amid World Cup celebrations
A 13-year-old died, and two people were injured when a fountain partially collapsed in western Spain in the early hours on Monday, marring mass celebrations of the country’s second-ever soccer World Cup victory, emergency services said.
The accident occurred shortly after midnight in Ciudad Rodrigo, a walled medieval city of about 12,000 in Salamanca province, near the border with Portugal.
Hundreds of residents had gathered at the Arbol Gordo fountain in the city’s centre when the upper part of the monument broke loose and struck several people, regional emergency services said.
In a statement, Ciudad Rodrigo’s town hall expressed condolences for the victim. “The entire city feels this loss and accompanies the minor’s friends and family in their grief … What should have been a celebration of the Spanish national team’s World Cup victory has turned into a tragedy,” it said.
Fountain collapses in Spain during World Cup win celebrations
Spain fans were rejoicing across the country when news of their World Cup win broke out that night. The celebration, with the support of the fans who had gathered, was in full swing, with everyone from the top of the mountain to the bottom of the street raising a flag, blowing the horn, or getting together around the monuments and fountains.
But this is only in Ciudad Rodrigo, where the celebrations led to a dangerous situation since suddenly the structure gave way under the crowd. Rescue and medical aid teams arrived almost immediately at the location as calls poured in to them for help.
At no time did the authorities give out any detailed information on the general condition of all those injured or specify how many people had been standing on the fountain when it collapsed. An official inquiry tends to determine if the fountain showed signs of structural damage earlier or it simply broke due to the weight of the number of people gathering on it.
(With inputs from Reuters)
