Years before Ferran Torres scored Spain’s FIFA World Cup 2026-winning goal, it was India who caught the first glimpse of the forward’s talent.
Ferran Torres has etched himself into FIFA World Cup folklore. A powerful, left-footed strike into the net in the 106th minute has earned him immortality. The world will forever remember him as the man who scored the winning goal to make Spain world champions for the second time. The 26-year-old forward plays his club football at FC Barcelona, and now boasts the two biggest international trophies in his cabinet. But what few know is that Ferran Torres, Spain’s FIFA World Cup 2026 hero, holds a special connection with India.
How India Saw Ferran Torres First
Nearly nine years before his glorious winning goal in the World Cup final, Ferran Torres – as a fresh-faced 17-year-old – had set foot in India, where he helped Spain to silver at the FIFA U17 World Cup in 2017.
Ferran, a part of Valencia’s academy at the time, was one of the star players of Spain’s highly-talented squad. Playing mostly as a right-winger in Spain’s side, Ferran contributed two goals and two assists in Spain’s run to the final. He also started Spain’s 5-2 defeat to England in the final.
Long before Ferran scored the goal that left Lionel Messi in tears, the first glimpses of his mercurial talent was seen at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi and the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata.
Spain’s World Cup-winning class of 2026 features one more player who made his first impressions on Indian soil. Centre-back Eric Garcia, a teammate of Ferran’s at Barcelona, was also part of the Spain U17 team that toured India. Eric played 21 minutes in the FIFA World Cup 2026 final against Argentina.
How Ferran Torres Earned Immortality
Ferran Torres is often a much-maligned figure at club level due to his inconsistency in front of goal. However, qualities of his that cannot be doubted are his positioning and link-up play.
In the World Cup final, Ferran was at the right place at the right time to hammer home a left-footed half-volley into the roof of the net in the 106th minute. As Nico Williams’ header hit the post, Torres reacted to the rebound in a flash.
This time, his finish was perfect.
