SerpApi.Org
As if replica FIFA World Cup trophies, medals, and custom $12,000 championship rings weren't already sufficient rewards for claiming soccer's greatest prize, two Spanish stars have received an additional, more wholesome gift.
Upon their triumphant return from the World Cup to their birthplace of Los Palacios y Villafranca in Andalusia, both Paris Saint-Germain's Fabián Ruiz and Barcelona's Gavi were officially weighed at the town hall and subsequently presented with their bodyweight in tomatoes — a product the region is celebrated for.
For 30-year-old Ruiz, this amounted to 84 kilograms (185 pounds) of the fruit, while 21-year-old Gavi walked away with 68 kilograms (150 pounds), according to ESPN. It comes after a lip reader revealed Gianni Infantino's plea that Donald Trump ignored to invade Spain's celebrations.
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At the event, which drew a large crowd of locals outside the town hall to celebrate the pair as they looked on from a balcony, Ruiz said, via online translation, "There are moments one cherishes forever, and returning home after winning a World Cup is one of them.
"It will always be a source of pride to carry the name Palacios Villafranca to every corner of the globe. Thank you for making me feel so loved in the best town in the world. Your affection means more than any title."
As for Gavi, who was shoved to the ground by Argentina's Leandro Paredes after the Final, he described the moment as "a day to remember."
He said: "Becoming a world champion alongside a fellow native of Los Palacios and a friend like Fabián is one of the greatest things imaginable. This World Cup goes out to all the people of Los Palacios, and I hope they are proud of all of us."
This marks another chapter in the roughly 35,000 residents of Los Palacios y Villafranca celebrating soccer triumphs with the distribution of crates filled with local goods.
The custom began in 2010 when Spain claimed its maiden World Cup trophy through a 1-0 extra-time victory, that time against the Netherlands in South Africa.
The first hometown hero to receive a crate of tomatoes was then-Sevilla star Jesús Navas.
The ex-Manchester City winger came back for more following Spain's UEFA European Championship triumphs in 2012 and 2024, with the most recent occasion also bringing Ruiz to his hometown's town hall. Gavi had to wait until 2026 for his inaugural delivery of fruit.
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For Ruiz, this rounded off an extraordinary summer in North America, where he featured in every match under Luis de la Fuente, earning starts in their final three fixtures alongside Golden Ball recipient Rodri in the center of Spain's midfield.
This followed his second straight Champions League trophy with PSG via a penalty shootout victory over Premier League titleholders Arsenal.
Gavi, on the other hand, experienced a more subdued summer after his third La Liga championship campaign, beginning Spain's tournament opener stalemate with Cape Verde and entering as a substitute in the Round of 32 clash with Austria for his only outings in what marked his second World Cup.
