Spain Celebrates World Cup Victory in Castelldefels, Messi's Former Home

Castelldefels, Spain – Fans waving the red and gold Spanish flag have filled the streets, shot fireworks into the night sky and hugged each other into the early hours of Monday after Spain beat Argentina 1-0 in the World Cup final.

The jubilation on the streets was echoed in towns and cities across Spain as La Roja won the title on Sunday for the second time with a goal by Ferran Torres in extra time.

Fans who had been watching the match on giant screens chanted, “Campeones! Campeones! [Champions! Champions!]”

However, in Castelldefels, a tourist town south of Barcelona, fans from both nationalities enjoyed the match thanks to the presence of a sizeable Argentinian emigre community.

Chief among them is – in spirit at least – one rather special former resident: Lionel Messi.

Messi spent his greatest years playing at Barcelona, and his presence still looms large over the town. Many Argentina or neutral fans walked around during the match on Sunday sporting his famous #10 shirt.

And this being Catalonia, where support for independence from Spain may have faded in recent years but remains a potent force, many support other sides in the World Cup. Many support Argentina, precisely because of the influence of Messi.

The Argentina captain still owns a luxury complex in Castelldefels, replete with its own football pitch, which is reported to be worth $8m.

It is in Bellamar, a neighbourhood nestled in the hills above this seaside town of 70,000 inhabitants, where he made his home with his family in his glory days at Barca.

Barca fans still cherish the thought of Messi returning to the city when he finally hangs up his boots. The rumour mill ran wild when the player recently bought the Unio Cornella, a team in the fifth tier of Spanish football.

He used to walk his children to school at the local British school in the town as passers-by watched in awe.

Before he became too much of a global megastar, he would go for a quiet drink at seaside bars with his wife and sign autographs or pose for pictures without a problem.

Everyone in this well-to-do-town on the shores of the Mediterranean has a story about when they met Messi. Some of them are true.

La Pampa is just one of the many Argentinian steak restaurants in the town that Messi used to patronise when he lived here. Its owners quietly show off pictures of the player smiling for the camera.

For younger diners, the Ankara Burger is full of football shirts of Argentinian clubs like Boca Juniors, River Plate or Independiente.

Catalonia, the northeastern region of Spain whose capital is Barcelona, has the largest expat population of Argentinians in Spain, numbering 37,980.

Away from these Mediterranean shores, controversy has raged over Argentinian players’ display of a political banner supporting an Argentinian sovereignty claim over the Falkland Islands after their World Cup semifinal victory over England, a move that appeared to violate the FIFA stadium code of conduct and struck a nerve in the United Kingdom over political sovereignty.

Argentinian President Javier Millei’s support for Israel has also prompted controversy in a country like Spain, where polls suggest a majority of the population back the Palestinian cause.

However, in Castelldefels, the political rows raging thousands of kilometres away were not on fans’ minds on Sunday night.

The Spanish and Argentinian flags fly outside the apartment of Gio and Gema Gonzalez, demonstrating perfectly the cultural melting pot here.

Gio Gonzalez immigrated to Spain from Buenos Aires in 2000, following a well-worn path for many other Argentinians. He met his wife, Gema, in Barcelona, and the couple moved to Castelldefels in 2007.

Like thousands of others, the couple went to watch the match on a giant screen organised by the town council.

“I am a mad, keen Argentina fan, so I was dreaming that we would win again, but it was not to be. It was a tough match, but I am happy for my wife that Spain could win,” said Gio Gonzalez, 54, a research scientist.

Gema Gonzalez, 46, a housewife, was beaming in the wake of Spain’s victory after a hard-fought game.

“I feel sorry for my husband – but only a bit!” she laughed. “I think Spain were the better side, and we deserved to win. I know I would say this, but I think we were the best side in this tournament.”