Hours after Spain secured its historic second FIFA World Cup title with a 1-0 extra-time victory over Argentina on Sunday, what should have been a night of nationwide joy turned into an unthinkable tragedy in the northwestern Spanish region of Salamanca. A partial collapse of the iconic Árbol Gordo fountain in Ciudad Rodrigo, where crowds of young fans had gathered to celebrate the national team’s win, left one 13-year-old boy dead and two additional young people injured. Emergency services confirmed the incident unfolded around 00:30 local time, shortly after the final whistle of the championship match. According to local media reports, the structural failure occurred after dozens of fans climbed onto the aged fountain to get better views of celebrations and capture celebratory content for social media, putting excess weight on the weakened structure that caused a section of the stone monument to give way. The emergency coordination system for Castilla y León, the autonomous community that contains Ciudad Rodrigo, confirmed it received multiple urgent calls from witnesses immediately after the collapse. First responders, including local police, the Spanish Civil Guard, regional fire brigades and emergency medical teams, were dispatched to the scene within minutes, with a mobile intensive care unit and a basic life support ambulance sent to treat the injured. Despite rapid medical intervention, the 13-year-old victim was pronounced dead at a local health center. Regional authorities have ordered the Civil Guard to launch a full investigation into the incident to determine liability and identify any pre-existing structural weaknesses that contributed to the collapse. Psychological support services have also been activated to support the boy’s grieving family, as well as other witnesses who were present at the time of the collapse. One injured child was transported to a local hospital with a suspected fractured leg bone, while the second injured person was treated for minor injuries at the scene. Ciudad Rodrigo’s town hall confirmed the devastating turn of events in an official social media post shortly after the incident, writing: ‘What was supposed to be a celebration for the victory of the Spanish National Football Team’s World Cup has turned into a tragedy.’ The local municipal council extended its deepest condolences to the victim’s family and friends in an official statement, adding that it ‘hopes for a speedy recovery of the others who have been affected by the incident.’ Thousands of miles away from the Ciudad Rodrigo tragedy, crowds of elated Spanish fans flooded city streets across the country to celebrate the long-awaited win: photos captured in Los Palacios, Seville, more than 400 kilometers south of Salamanca, showed packed streets full of singing, cheering revellers hours after the final. Sunday’s win marks the first World Cup title for Spain in 16 years, following their historic championship win in 2010. Forward Ferran Torres scored the match-winning goal in extra time, securing the narrow win over two-time defending champions Argentina. This tragedy is not the only fatal incident tied to 2026 World Cup final celebrations: earlier this month, three people died from suffocation in a crowd crush during watch party celebrations in Mexico City, while a 30-year-old man died from an epileptic crisis triggered by overcrowding and excitement during the same event.