The official account of the White House on X reacted this Tuesday to the viral gesture of Spanish forward Ferrán Torres, who wore a red cap with the slogan “Make Spain Great Again” during the massive parade celebrating the world title in Madrid.
The White House's response came via a retweet of Fox News' coverage of Torres's cap, accompanied by a brief but direct message: "Everyone wants to join the movement."
The post has quickly accumulated over 2.6 million views, more than 32,000 likes, and over 1,300 comments in just a few hours.
The goal, the cap, and the viralization
Torres was the undisputed hero of the final of the 2026 World Cup, held on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, where he scored the decisive goal against Argentina in extra time to give Spain its second World Cup, 16 years after South Africa 2010.
Two days later, during the celebration in the streets of Madrid in front of a crowd that the Government Delegation estimated at two million people, the FC Barcelona forward appeared shirtless, wearing a red cap with the words "Make Spain Great Again," a direct adaptation of the slogan "Make America Great Again" popularized by Donald Trump during his 2016 presidential campaign.
Torres himself shared a first-person video from his Instagram account during the parade, with the cap clearly visible, which sparked widespread sharing on social media. Fox News featured it with the headline: "Ferrán Torres wears 'Make Spain Great Again' cap at the World Cup parade."
Without explanations or retraction
The Valencian footballer did not provide any public explanation regarding the intention behind the gesture, nor did he apologize to those who interpreted it as a political nod to Trumpism. Far from that, he posted more photographs from the parade in which the cap remained visible, which several English-language media described as a reaffirmation in the face of criticism.
The interpretation of the gesture sparked debate: some media outlets viewed it as a joke or an ironic nod to the context of the tournament, while others saw it as a genuine endorsement of the movement. Torres did not clarify his stance.
Regarding his performance in the final, the forward did speak: "I believe that you always have to keep believing and in the end, everything arrives," he stated according to the newspaper Sport.
Trump, omnipresent in the World Cup
The episode takes place against the backdrop of Trump's strong presence throughout the tournament. The U.S. president attended the final in person, arriving on the presidential helicopter Marine One, and participated in the presentation of the World Cup to the Spanish team alongside FIFA president Gianni Infantino. In the VIP box, he greeted King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, as well as the Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez.
After the tournament, Trump described it as “the safest and most spectacular World Cup in history, by a wide margin” and estimated its economic impact at around 20 billion dollars for the United States.
The Spanish celebration in Madrid also had another viral moment with Trumpist overtones: midfielder Mikel Merino imitated the distinctive dance of the U.S. president during the trophy presentation ceremony, with Trump just a few meters away, in a video that also went around the world.
A motto with history in Spain
The slogan "Make Spain Great Again" is not new in the country.
The far-right party Vox adopted the slogan "Make Spain great again" in 2018 as a direct copy of Trump's slogan, which at the time sparked an intense political debate about the influence of Trumpism on the Spanish right.
That it is now the top scorer of the national team who wears it on his cap during the most attended celebration in recent years adds a layer of ambiguity that the White House did not hesitate to capitalize on.
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