The first title in Spain | OneFootball

With Spain and Austria facing off for a place in the Round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup, the São Paulo Historical Archive went in search of the story behind São Paulo’s first title won on Spanish soil.

On August 24, 1969, Tricolor defeated Real Madrid 2-1, with goals by Benê and Babá, and was crowned champion of the Troféu Colombino, a traditional European preseason competition. The most curious detail, however, was that in this match São Paulo played in an all-blue kit, borrowed from a local team.

The short-format tournament began a day earlier, on August 23, in Huelva, Spain. In their opener (the semifinal), São Paulo beat Las Palmas 3-2, with goals by Zé Roberto, Babá, and Nelsinho. The final, on the following night, was against the team from the Spanish capital, which had beaten Belgium’s Anderlecht 2-1 in the opening round.

Tricolor took the field wearing blue shirts, shorts, and socks: a tribute to the city of Huelva and Recreativo de Huelva, the host of the event and the oldest football club in Spain. According to the newspaper “El Mundo Deportivo,” the gesture was a request and a promise made by São Paulo’s directors if the team reached the final.

The game began in the opponents’ favor. Just seven minutes into the first half, the referee awarded a penalty against São Paulo. Gento sent it into the net to open the scoring. Tricolor, dressed in blue, did not back down, however, and pushed forward, pressing the Spaniards deep in their own half. The reward came still in the first half, in the 32nd minute: after a defensive clearance, the ball fell to Benê outside the box, and he struck the rebound hard and low into the net to level the match.

From that point on, it was all São Paulo. In the second half, in the 15th minute, Paraná was brought down in the penalty area in a play similar to the penalty given at the start of the match, but this time the referee gave nothing. Despite São Paulo’s constant attacks, the winner only came in the 41st minute. Paraná, from the left, crossed into the box and Babá, who had already missed two great chances, headed it accurately into the back of the net.

In stoppage time, Tricolor even scored a third goal, through Téia, but the referee had “ended” the match moments earlier. It did not matter: with the result, São Paulo was crowned champion of the Troféu Colombino and received a magnificent and famous trophy representing one of Christopher Columbus’s caravels.

SÃO PAULO 2 X 1 REAL MADRID24.08.1969. Troféu Colombino 1969 – FinalHuelva (Spain), Huelva Stadium

SPFC: Picasso; Cláudio Deodato, Jurandir, Roberto Dias and Édson Cegonha (Tenente); Nenê and Benê; Miruca, Nelsinho, Babá (Téia) and Paraná. Coach: Diede Lameiro. Goals: Benê, 32/1; Babá (header), 41/2

Opponent: Antonio Betancort; Antonio Calpe (Gregorio Benito), Pedro De Felipe and Manuel Sanchís; Sánchez Pirri (José Luis) and Ignacio Zoco; Fleitas, Amancio Varela, Ramón Grosso, Manuel Velázquez and Francisco Gento. Coach: Miguel Muñoz Mozún. Goal: Francisco Gento (penalty), 7/1

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.