Five Castellón fans savour Spain’s second World Cup after whirlwind New York weekend | OneFootball

Five friends from Castellón spent a whirlwind weekend in New York, witnessing Spain secure a second World Cup against Argentina at MetLife Stadium. El Periódico Mediterráneo reports that they relived the journey from hurried planning to the scenes of celebration in the stands.

They had long weighed a trip if the chance arose, using a federation contact to buy FIFA-priced tickets rather than inflated resale rates. After Spain won the semi-final they locked in five seats, flew on Friday and stayed three days until Monday.

Sightseeing mixed with seeking fellow Spaniards, from Times Square and Fifth Avenue to Central Park. On match day they were near the stadium by 10am, grabbed lunch in a nearby mall, fronted TV interviews and mingled with both fanbases.

On the streets they felt Argentines outnumbered them five to one and Spaniards were in the minority. Inside, seated among Spain’s fans, they described constant chanting, plenty of familiar faces and influencers, and respectful coexistence.

They even filmed the moment US president Donald Trump appeared in the famous image beside the players as Rodri raised the trophy, before returning to songs about being world champions. Concession prices struck them too, with beer alcoholic and costing 15 to 20 dollars, and hot dogs 9 to 14, plus chicken and sandwiches.

Tension ruled during the match, they felt Spain were on top and were desperate to avoid penalties, then Ferran’s goal sparked wild celebrations. They had celebrated a Euros triumph before, but said a World Cup final felt another level.

There were no clashes, with Argentines staying for the medals as both sides sang. For the group, the joy was seeing a country united, belief in Spain’s plan and improving youth development, and the sense that the team came first.

They also questioned access to events of this scale, pointing to political and sporting interests, directed ticket allocations and the drive for vast ticketing revenues that can leave ordinary fans priced out.

Source: El Periódico Mediterráneo