“You represent a bond of faith and history between peoples who also share a passion for football.”

📹 An emotional offering of the World Cup trophy to Our Lady of the Pillar. 🏆 The president of the @rfef and Spain head coach have given thanks before the Patroness of the Hispanic World for @SeFutbol’s triumph at the most recent World Cup.

🔗 https://t.co/aJNkQympLK

#VamosEspaña https://t.co/elx7OKR1Oe

— RFEF (@rfef), October 19, 2026

On a very special day for Spanish football, exactly three months after securing their second World Cup star in the Americas, the Patroness of the Hispanic World received the solemn offering of the trophy won by Spain this Monday.

An RFEF delegation led by president Rafael Louzán and Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente was welcomed on Monday morning at the Cathedral-Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar by Carlos Escribano, Archbishop of Zaragoza, and Juan Sebastián Teruel, Dean of the Metropolitan Chapter. The offering to the Virgin Mary was attended by hundreds of people from Aragon, both inside and outside the cathedral.

“Today, we come before you, on behalf of the Royal Spanish Football Federation, to offer you this World Cup with gratitude, humility and emotion,” Rafael Louzán began in his address to Our Lady of the Pillar. He went on to say: “You represent a bond of faith and history between peoples who also share a passion for football. Today, we make this offering in this beloved land of Aragon, where so many generations have found comfort and hope.”

Rafael Louzán also asked the Patroness of the Hispanic World to “watch over the entire Spanish football family. May we know how to win with humility, rise again in the face of adversity and always respect our opponents. Help us make football a school of teamwork, effort and solidarity, where we learn to lend a helping hand and put the good of the team above our own interests.”

His words were followed by the presentation of the trophy by the RFEF president and Spain head coach, accompanied by music from Zaragoza’s Infanticos choir. Archbishop Carlos Escribano then spoke, highlighting how “teamwork, conviction, faith and leadership have shown us everything we can achieve.” He added: “There are already two stars, and hopefully there will be many more in the future, as you can see from those adorning the Virgin’s chapel.”

Before the ceremony at the Cathedral-Basilica, Zaragoza City Hall’s reception room hosted an official event marking the Kings of the World exhibition, which made a stop in the Aragonese capital on Monday.

Zaragoza Mayor Natalia Chueca, welcoming the delegation, thanked the RFEF president for bringing the World Cup trophy to the city “at a unique moment, as we celebrate the grand finale of the Pilar festivities. This exhibition fills us with a very special emotion as we remember what we experienced here in this very square three months ago, when Zaragoza rallied behind the Spanish national team from the very first match of the World Cup.”

Spain went on to lift the trophy at that tournament, and on Sunday more than six Aragonese footballers from different age groups had the opportunity to see it at the headquarters of the Royal Aragonese Football Federation (RFAF). Its president, Manuel Torralba, encouraged everyone in Zaragoza to enjoy the exhibition, saying: “This is everyone’s trophy, and you can see that in the faces of those who come to see it, especially the youngest visitors.”

Jorge Azcón, President of the Government of Aragon, brought the speeches to a close by thanking Rafael Louzán for his work at the helm of the RFEF. “I am sure that the stability he has brought after turbulent times has helped us become world champions and made it possible for us to enjoy this trophy here,” he said. “Professional, generous and charismatic leadership is essential to achieving a great collective success like this.”

The regional president and the head of the RFEF also met on Monday at the headquarters of the Government of Aragon. Another moving moment during the day was the tribute paid to local young referee Yago García Aparicio, who was brutally assaulted during a match in the town of Pina de Ebro a few weeks ago. Rafael Louzán and Manuel Torralba presented him with a personalised Spain shirt bearing the two stars that celebrate the national team’s status as two-time world champions—a milestone being celebrated in Zaragoza.

As a host city for the upcoming World Cup, Zaragoza is already immersed in the construction of the new La Romareda Stadium. The RFEF delegation visited the site on Monday afternoon. Alongside the president and Spain head coach, the delegation included national team director Aitor Karanka and RFEF secretary general Álvaro de Miguel. They were able to see first-hand the impressive progress of the project, which from next year will provide the Aragonese capital with a sporting venue capable of holding more than 40,000 spectators, in preparation for the great occasion of the 2030 World Cup.