A 13-year-old boy died after part of the Árbol Gordo fountain collapsed in Salamanca province, northwestern Spain, during celebrations of Spain's World Cup victory early on Monday, July 20th, 2026.

The incident occurred around 00:30 local time (23:30 BST) in Ciudad Rodrigo, where people had gathered to celebrate Spain's 1-0 win over Argentina in the World Cup final, secured by Ferran Torres' extra-time goal. It marked Spain's second World Cup title, the first since 2010.

Emergency services for Castilla y León received multiple calls about the fountain collapse. Two other young people were injured, including one child who was hospitalized with a possible broken leg bone. The emergency service alerted local police, Salamanca's Civil Guard, the fire brigade, and dispatched a mobile intensive care unit and a basic life support ambulance to the scene.

The emergency medical service later requested the Civil Guard's presence at the local health center to investigate the boy's death.

Local media reported that the fountain structure gave way after several people climbed on it to celebrate the victory. Ciudad Rodrigo's town hall described the event on social media: "What was supposed to be a celebration for the victory in the Spanish National Football Team's World Cup has turned into a tragedy."

Authorities expressed hopes for a speedy recovery of those injured in the incident.

Sources