August 22 – Spain began their reign as Women’s World Cup champions by arriving home to a victory parade on the streets of Madrid.
Fans packed the streets of the Spanish capital as the victorious La Roja paraded with the trophy on an open-top bus with match-winner and captain Olga Carmona – who scored the only goal in the 1-0 win over England – being tossed up in the air by teammates in front of thousands of fans.
It was the first time Spain has won the competition since its inception in 1991 while Carmona, named as the final’s most valuable player, became the first player since American Carli Lloyd in 2015 to score in a World Cup semi-final and final.
It was a bitter-sweet occasion for Carmona, however, after discovering after the final that her father had died following an illness. Her family decided to wait before informing her.
“Today is a very special day for the entire country, but it’s also a bit complicated for me,” Carmona told the fans.
“Yesterday was a day of mixed emotions for me. At one point it was the best day of my life, but then it became the worst. I’m really moved to be able to offer this joy for the entire country. Now you have the star that you all wanted so much, and not only the one that we will carry on our chests, but also all the ones that are in the sky and that accompanied us.”
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