Spain’s World Cup-winning goalscorer, Olga Carmona, was told her father had died after Sunday’s final against England.
The left-back’s strike in the first half of the match earned the team its 1-0 victory over the Lionesses. But in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, after the match, the Royal Spanish Football Federation announced her father’s death.
“The footballer learned the sad news after the World Cup final. We send our most sincere hugs to Olga and her family in a moment of deep pain,” it added. “We love you, Olga, you are the history of Spanish football.”
On Monday Carmona dedicated her World Cup triumph to her father. “I have no words to thank you for all your love,” she tweeted. “Yesterday was the best and the worst day of my life. I know that you would like to see me enjoy this historic moment – that is why I will be with my companions – so that from wherever you are, you know that this star is also yours, dad.”
Meanwhile, the president of the Spanish FA, Luis Rubiales, is facing scrutiny after kissing Jennifer Hermoso during the celebrations.
He was seen lifting Spain’s all-time top scorer off her feet after she accepted her medal from Fifa’s president, Gianni Infantino. After the pair had a brief exchange, he appeared to grab her face and kiss her on the lips.
Speaking to Spanish TV network La 1, Hermoso said: “I did not enjoy that”.
Spain became only the second country, after Germany, to have won the men’s and women’s tournaments after the victory at Stadium Australia, Sydney.
Carmona, 23, had earlier celebrated the goal by revealing a message on her shirt reading “Merchi”, which she said was a tribute to a friend whose mother had died.
The defender has long been considered one of Spanish football’s most precocious talents. Having given impressive performances against Denmark and England in last year’s Uefa Women’s Euros, she marked 100 appearances for Real Madrid last season.
She has previously said her passion for the game was ignited after her father signed her brothers up for football. “I went every evening to watch them train,” she said. “I ended up wanting to play so much that I said to myself: ‘Why shouldn’t I go out and train with them?’”
Before the announcement of Carmona’s father’s death, the Spanish FA had said the team would return to Madrid for title celebrations.
