World Cup: Spanish boy, 13, killed in fountain collapse during celebrations

What the report says

Al Jazeera, citing regional emergency services and Reuters, reported that a 13-year-old boy died in western Spain after part of a fountain gave way during public celebrations of Spain’s World Cup final victory over Argentina. The incident happened shortly after midnight on Monday in Ciudad Rodrigo, a medieval walled city in Salamanca province near the Portuguese border.

According to the report, hundreds of people had gathered around the Arbol Gordo fountain in the city centre when the upper section of the monument detached and hit several people. Emergency services said calls came in at about 12:30am local time reporting that a fountain had collapsed onto numerous people. Another young person was among those injured and was believed to be in serious condition with a broken leg.

Ciudad Rodrigo’s town hall issued a statement of condolence to the victim’s family and friends, saying the city shared in their grief after a celebration turned into a tragedy. Al Jazeera reported that the collapse is understood to have occurred after many people climbed onto the fountain while celebrating Spain’s first World Cup title since 2010.

The celebrations followed Spain’s 1-0 win over Argentina in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final at New York New Jersey Stadium in the United States. The match remained scoreless in regular time before Ferran Torres scored in extra time. The accident underscores the risks that can arise when large crowds gather around public monuments during spontaneous celebrations.