Winning the World Cup brings many rewards for players… but receiving your own body weight in tomatoes is surely one of the more unusual.
That is what Spain midfielders Fabian Ruiz and Gavi were presented with when they returned to their hometown after being part of the Spain squad that triumphed in North America.
The pair come from Los Palacios y Villafranca – a town to the south of Seville that has a population lower than 40,000 – and returned there on Wednesday for an official reception at the town hall.
Paris St-Germain’s Ruiz, who started the final against Argentina, and Barcelona’s Gavi wore their gold medals as they were greeted by Los Palacios y Villafranca officials and a large crowd.
As part of the occasion to honour their achievement, they both stepped on to weighing scales to establish the quantity of tomatoes they would each be given.
Ruiz is to receive 85kg and Gavi 68.5kg in a tradition that local officials say “has become a hallmark of the municipality for honouring its great athletes”.
Former Spain winger Jesus Navas also attended as he was the first player from Los Palacios y Villafranca to win the World Cup, when he did so in 2010.
Navas, the former Manchester City forward, and Ruiz also received the gift of tomatoes after Spain won Euro 2024.
The town’s sports pavilion is named after Navas and Ruiz and Gavi will now have football fields renamed after them as a tribute to their achievements.
“In addition, the town hall will promote the construction of a monument dedicated to the three champions from Los Palacios,” said a town council statement., external
“In this way, the city council wants to pay permanent tribute to three athletes who represent the pride of an entire town and who, with their sporting and human trajectory, have become role models for several generations of children and young people.”
