Ferran Torres, scorer of the winning goal against Argentina, was born in Valencia’s orchard region and developed as a player at the Valencia CF Academy

Spain claimed its second FIFA World Cup title with a 1-0 victory over Argentina in the 2026 final in New York on Sunday 19 July. Ferran Torres became the hero of the night, scoring the decisive goal in the 106th minute of extra time to secure the historic win.

Behind this historic achievement lies a story deeply connected with Valencia. Ferran Torres was born in Foios, a town in Valencia’s traditional orchard region, known as the Mediterranean pantry, located just a few kilometres from the city, and joined the Valencia CF Academy when he was only seven years old.

He grew both as a footballer and as a person at the club’s training complex in Paterna, progressing through every youth category before reaching the first team. Between 2017 and 2020, he played three seasons for Valencia CF and was part of the squad that won the Copa del Rey in 2019.

Ferran Torres’s journey reflects Valencia’s deep-rooted passion for football and has long been recognised as one of the great talent-producing centres of Spanish football. Fans can celebrate Ferran Torres’s World Cup-winning heroics by exploring the places where his football journey began in Valencia.

Miguel Angel Pérez, Vice Deputy Director of Visit Valencia Foundation explains: “Valencia celebrated with amazing fireworks on the City Council Square, images that have been shared worldwide showing the Mediterranean attitude.  The fireworks set off at the final in the United States were also from Valencia, as was the band that played the Spanish national anthem”.

Mestalla: an essential experience for British football fans

One of those places is the Camp de Mestalla, which opened in 1923 and has been home to Valencia CF ever since, making it the oldest stadium still in use in the top tier of Spanish football.

Located within the city, Mestalla is renowned for the proximity of its stands to the pitch, its distinctive steep design and the intense atmosphere created by its supporters. For more than a century, it has hosted historic Valencia CF matches, international fixtures and major competitions.

The 2026-2027 season is set to be particularly monumental. According to the timetable announced by the club, it will be Valencia CF’s final full season at Mestalla before the planned move to the Nou Mestalla in summer 2027, which will probably be one of the stadiums for the 2030 World Cup.

The coming months therefore represent a unique opportunity for football fans from the UK and Ireland to visit one of Europe’s great historic football grounds before the end of an era.

Visitors can opt to take the “Mestalla Forever Tour” which offers a behind-the-scenes look at the stadium, including the dressing rooms, players’ tunnel, press room and pitchside areas. The experience brings more than one hundred years of history to life and reveals the setting where Ferran Torres took his first steps in professional football.

Visitors can also attend a La Liga match and experience from the stands the distinctive atmosphere of Mestalla, one of the most intense and recognisable stadiums in Spanish football. Also Levante UD is playing La Liga, so visitors have a chance to see a match almost every weekend.

Much more than football

Ferran Torres’s connection with Valencia also provides an opportunity to combine sports tourism with the discovery of a Mediterranean city offering history, gastronomy, contemporary architecture and outstanding natural spaces.

From Mestalla, visitors can easily reach Valencia’s historic centre, walk through the Turia Gardens or explore the City of Arts and Sciences. The experience can be completed with an excursion to Valencia’s market gardens, the landscape where Ferran Torres was born, and to the Albufera Natural Park, the birthplace of Valencian paella.

Valencia also offers long stretches of urban beaches, a rich cultural and culinary scene and a Mediterranean climate that makes the city enjoyable throughout the year.

Spain’s World Cup victory and Ferran Torres’s decisive goal have forever linked the name of Valencia to one of international football’s most exciting moments. For British supporters, visiting the city during the coming season will be an opportunity to discover the champion’s roots and say farewell to Mestalla before the historic stadium closes one of the most important chapters in Spanish football.