Red and yellow as far as the eye can see. Chants of "yo soy Español" and "dónde está Argentina, Argentina dónde está." Hands exchanging plates filled to the brim with paella. Tears as hugs are exchanged and kisses are given. Fans clinging onto one another is disbelief as they watch a dream 16 years in the making come true.
These were the scenes at Mercado Little Spain, a small slice of Spain just beneath The Vessel in midtown Manhattan's Hudson Yards, where Spanish fans across the world came together to watch their country defeat Argentina to win their second World Cup title.
The mercado served as the official site of Casa España, the traveling fan headquarters created by the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) as a place to support Spain during the World Cup, and as Spain took on the defending world champions just over nine miles away across the Hudson River.
"It's really incredible to see how a Spanish market called Little Spain can be enjoyed by so many people and that we're able to show what our food, what our gastronomy, and what our culture is to the rest of the world," Carlota Andrés, head of brand development and operations at Mercado Little Spain, said.
As the mercado has shown all the World Cup matches, it became one of the main hubs for Spanish fans to enjoy the games. That much was evident given the line of fans draped in Spanish flags waiting outside the mercado's doors before kickoff on Sunday morning.
Two years ago, Mercado Little Spain was also packed with fans watching Spain lift a fourth men's European Championship title. Now, due to the location's popularity on La Roja matchdays, it welcomed a crowd twice as large for the World Cup final, with RFEF President Rafael Louzán anointing the mercado as the official fan hub.
"Everything that we've been doing this past month, being able to just finish it off having the federation choose Little Spain to be the headquarters of the Spanish fans is an absolute privilege for us," Andrés said. "For [our] team, when they saw the 2010 trophy that Spain won, they said never in my wildest dreams did I think that this would be happening, and I can concur."
Mercado Little Spain was founded by Chef José Andrés in partnership with fellow chefs Albert Adrià and Ferran Adrià in 2018. José first arrived in the United States 40 years prior on a navy ship while completing his military service for Spain, docking in what is now known as Hudson Yards. In the eight years since Mercado Little Spain's founding, the space has welcomed visitors from all over the world who want to share in José's love for his homeland.
Fans react to a tackle on one of their players.
"This is a love letter from José Andrés to New York and to the United States and is probably the best of Spain outside of Spain," Carlota Andrés said. "This is an incredible market where you can find and live and breathe what Spanish culture is."
Spanish culture was at the forefront of the mercado's mind as they prepared to welcome fans for the World Cup final. A partnership with Rioja brought a variety of authentic Spanish wines from the country's premier region, while endless plates of patatas bravas and croquetas rotated around the mercado, much to the delight of the fans.
"I took a day off to get here," Yisus Galán, who travelled from Sevilla, Spain, said. "I want to support my country. I want to support my people. [Here] is the best vibes ever. This is the best day of 2026. People from all over the world come here to see the match, and we're having fun."
There was, perhaps, no better place to witness the pure emotion of La Roja's World Cup win than inside Mercado Little Spain. When the final whistle blew, fans exploded to their feet as they danced on their chairs and hugged their loved ones. One fan wearing a conquistador helmet threw their arms around another in a red-and-yellow wig. Others stood on tables waving Spanish flags while cheering in jubilation.
Red and yellow paint ran down Galán's cheeks as his tears fell. "Campeones del mundo" was all he could repeat as he joined dozens of other fans dancing across the mercado.
Fans took to the streets to celebrate Spain's second World Cup.
The celebrations were quick to spill out onto the street, where fans watching a few feet away at The Vessel joined in on the fun. For nearly two hours, they danced to everything from Shakira's "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)" to "We Are the Champions" by Queen. The celebrations didn't stop there, however, as fans made their way over to Time Square to join those arriving back from NY/NJ Stadium.
"We've been seeing locals that live in New York that are from all parts of the world, but then we've also seen a huge traffic of tourists that have been coming to New York just for the World Cup festivities," Andrés said. "The fact that they've found Little Spain to be kind of their home for these matches is an incredible sight to see."
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