According to Mundo Deportivo, Ferran Torres stated, while being honored in his hometown of Foios, that he needs time to process his and the team's achievements, and that celebrating it all in his hometown is "as good as it gets."
The 26-year-old Barcelona forward was recognized on a large stage set up in the south parking lot of Foios, a city in the L'Horta Nord region north of Valencia, in front of approximately 4,000 attending fans and local residents. The event commemorated his goal in the World Cup final against Argentina, which helped Spain win the championship.
Ferran Torres received a standing ovation upon his appearance. He repeatedly thanked his hometown people, saying: "Wherever I go, I say I am from Foios, and I am very proud of it. It's easy to say, this is a perfect village, and everyone I bring here loves it. I will come back whenever I have the chance. Given my current schedule, it's not easy, but I'm always happy to be back here, and it's an honor to be with everyone."
Ferran Torres, who had just returned from a series of media and event engagements in New York, admitted: "To this day, the team and I haven't truly realized what we have achieved, nor the joy we have brought to the country. I need time to process this, and there's no better way than to celebrate it in my hometown." He also mentioned his middle school years in Foios and his annual training camp held at the Foios Sports Center, calling it "one of the best training camps in the world."
Ferran Torres also invited Vicente, one of his best friends from Foios, onto the stage and recalled the hours leading up to the World Cup final: "I slept for 9 hours, only thinking about being closer to home and closer to the holidays. We took it all naturally because we were used to playing high-intensity matches." He also revealed that in the WhatsApp group with friends and family, everyone was more nervous than him. He sent them a photo and told them to relax, as he had a hunch he would play a starring role in the final.
He said: "When I saw the ball bounce in front of me, looking back, I understood that feeling Iniesta described in 2010, where 'the world seemed to stand still.' I also felt that at that moment, it was just the ball and me on the field, and I felt a power I had never felt before." He also stated: "We were fortunate to unite a country in 50 days, with everyone eagerly hoping for us to win the World Cup. All of this is priceless."
In the morning, when he was appointed Ambassador of the Valencian Community at the Generalitat Valenciana building, the approximately 200 people waiting for him were merely a prelude compared to the grand celebration in his hometown. The earliest arrivals had been there three hours before the event began, enduring the scorching sun, and their patience was rewarded by being among the first to enter and sit in the front rows. Ferran Torres, as in the morning, still arrived with his family, first greeted by local officials, and then took to the stage to salute his fellow townspeople.
This was also the final stop in a series of public tributes and events after his World Cup final goal. Next, he is expected to begin a new chapter at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper and return to join the Barcelona team next Wednesday, August 12. His future will also be a focus of attention for Barcelona in the near future.
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7
The World Cup is now history, boy. Time to live in the present. The new season is around the corner and if you don't pull up your socks you'll find your bums warming the bench again.