By mid-afternoon on Sunday, the August-quiet, sun-fried streets around Madrid’s WiZink Center had begun to fill with red strips, dazed and happy faces, and the inevitable chorus of horns from the capital’s jubilant motorists. Spain had done it. But the fact they had done it was going to take a while to sink in.
Among the hundreds of people milling about outside the sporting arena and concert venue – where giant screens had shown the World Cup triumph of the Spanish women’s team to 6,000 people – were Laura Luengo, her wife, Tamara Rodríguez, and their young son, Álvaro.
“This is just a historic day in terms of football and sport as a whole,” said Luengo, a 33-year-old civil servant originally from the south-western region of Extremadura.
“There should be more equality between the men’s game and the women’s game now. Things should change.” She just hoped that the momentum and passion shown by the goal scorer Olga Carmona and her teammates would serve to bring about real change – and that the progress Sunday’s result represented was seized on.
“I just hope this isn’t all forgotten in a month’s time and women’s football gets put back to one side,” she added.
Rodríguez agreed: “I’m so happy as a woman and as a Spaniard. I think we’ve shown that things can change and that they should change.”
Álvaro, who was as thrilled by the imminent prospect of the McDonald’s he had been promised as he was by La Roja’s victory, also wanted to have his say, confirming that he, too, was “very excited”.
Jamie Moratalla Muñoz, an administrator from Ciudad Real, two hours south of Madrid, was casting around for the best word to describe how he felt.
“It’s just great,” he said. “Euphoric is the word. We had a good team and we had some good opponents. They faced some good teams along the way but they did it.”
His friend Esau Bastante was also still a little overwhelmed. “It was a bit of a surprise but I’m very happy,” he said. “We’re going to get something to eat now and have quite a few beers.”
Spain’s press and politicians found that their words – many of them lofty, adjectival or superlative – came a little more easily.
“Spain becomes immortal through its first Women’s World Cup conquest,” said El País. El Mundo went with “Spain is proclaimed world champion thanks to a left-footed shot that brings down all the walls”, while elDiario.es headlined its report with the pithy summary: “Spain’s women’s team wins the World Cup, sealing its assault on history.”
The country’s acting prime minister, the Socialist leader Pedro Sánchez, felt amply justified in breaking out the caps. “WORLD CHAMPIONS!” he tweeted. “You’ve made history. You’ve made us proud. You’re inspirational. You are just GREAT.”
Irene Montero, Spain’s acting equality minister, tweeted: “Thank you for proving – especially to so many girls and women – that yes, we can.”
Yolanda Díaz, the acting labour minister and the leader of the new, leftwing Sumar alliance that is seeking to form a government with Sánchez’s Spanish Socialist Workers’ party following last month’s inconclusive general election, said the final in Sydney had shown that “we have the best players and we have a country that wants to put women’s sport on the same level as men’s sport”.
Alberto Núñez Feijóo, the leader of Spain’s conservative People’s party, was delighted to see someone win the outright victory his party was denied at the polls.
“Your championship has been one of triumph and of overcoming obstacles,” he tweeted. “Congratulations and thanks so much for inspiring all of Spain!”
As the crowds streamed out of the arena, watched by police officers cooling off with bottles of water, much of the anger and controversy that had surrounded Spain’s coach, Jorge Vilda, appeared to have been forgotten. At least for the time being. The day belonged, indubitably, to the brilliant and determined women who had made history on a winter pitch on the other side of the planet.
“I feel very happy because we won and because we showed that we’re the best team in the world,” said Pilar Martín, who – lest anyone be confused as to her loyalties – was wearing a Spain strip and a Spanish flag.
“I’m just delighted. And I’m proud as both a Spaniard and as a woman. Any final is a bit like a lottery but we’ve hit the jackpot today. But that jackpot isn’t money; it’s happiness.”
