Spain Celebrates Euro 2024 Triumph with Massive Madrid Parade

Tens of thousands gathered in Madrid to celebrate Spain's Euro 2024 men's football victory over England. The parade featured excited fans, national flags, and chants of 'Champions!' Authorities and fans praised the team's skills and unity, as emerging star Lamine Yamal was highlighted for his impact on combating racism.

Waving flags and dressed in Spain's red and yellow colours, tens of thousands of jubilant fans greeted the country's triumphant Euro 2024 men's football team on Monday during a parade in Madrid. Fans shouted 'Champions, champions!' at the players and coach, who celebrated the win in an open-top double-decker bus, with the trophy prominently displayed and a message stating 'It's only the beginning.'

Spain secured a 2-1 victory against England in Sunday's final in Berlin, drawing praise from Spanish authorities for the team's performance and style of play. Some fans noted that the team fostered unity in a country with a history of territorial tensions and political polarisation. A young fan named Borja expressed pride on national broadcaster TVE, saying, 'We are a great country. Today's celebration reminds us that this flag represents all of us.'

Borja also praised 17-year-old rising star Lamine Yamal, who is of Black descent, with his father from Morocco and his mother from Equatorial Guinea. 'We are witnessing ongoing problems with racism. Lamine Yamal will define an era because people in Spain are of all colours,' he added.

Excited fans, many of them children and some who travelled from distant parts of Spain, crowded balconies and sidewalks to wave at the players, who wore white t-shirts reading 'Kings of Europe' with a big number four, marking Spain's fourth continental title. Spain's King Felipe VI, accompanied by Queen Letizia and his two daughters in national jerseys, addressed the team at a ceremony in his palace, saying, 'I want to thank you for your efforts and the joy with which you played. A joy like this was much needed.'

(With inputs from agencies.)