Spain's Ruiz-Gavi honoured with tomato gift after World Cup glory

Spain's Ruiz-Gavi honoured with tomato gift after World Cup glory

After winning the World Cup, players usually receive medals, trophies or money as prizes. However, two Spanish footballers, Fabian Ruiz and Gavi, received a completely different gift—tomatoes equal to their own body weight.

After returning home from winning the 2026 World Cup, the two midfielders were honoured in their hometown of Los Palacios y Villafranca on Wednesday. They grew up in this small town of about 40,000 people, south of Seville.

PSG midfielder Fabian Ruiz played a key role in helping Spain win their second World Cup title, beating Argentina 1-0 in extra time in the final. Barcelona star Gavi was one of the team's most reliable players throughout the tournament.

The two appeared at the reception with World Cup gold medals around their necks. Following local tradition, they were then placed on a weighing scale—and received exactly the same amount of tomatoes in kilograms as their body weight.

After weighing, it was found that Ruiz would receive 85 kg and Gavi 68.5 kg of tomatoes. Together, the two world champions received a total of 153.5 kg of tomatoes. Local authorities said this unique gift is a town tradition to honour accomplished athletes.

Also present at the event was Jesus Navas, a member of Spain's 2010 World Cup-winning squad. He was the first World Cup-winning footballer from Los Palacios y Villafranca. After winning Euro 2024, Navas and Ruiz had also been given tomatoes in the same manner.

This time, the town authorities have announced even greater honours. In addition to the existing sports complex named after Navas and Ruiz, a football field will also be named after Gavi. Plans are also underway to build a sculpture to commemorate the three world champions.

The town council said, "These three footballers are not only our pride, but also symbols of inspiration for the children and teenagers of the next generation."