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Spain midfielder Dani Olmo celebrated his country's FIFA World Cup 2026 triumph by paying tribute to the cities that defined his footballing journey, sharing a poignant message after La Roja defeated Argentina 1-0 in Sunday's final.
Olmo posted a picture of himself holding the FIFA World Cup trophy on X alongside the words, "Terrassa. Barcelona. Zagreb. Leipzig. Barcelona. New York." The six locations chart the remarkable path that took the 28-year-old from his hometown to the pinnacle of world football. Born in Terrassa on May 7, 1998, Olmo began his football education at Barcelona's famed La Masia academy before making the bold decision to leave Spain as a teenager for Croatian club Dinamo Zagreb. He made his senior debut there in 2015 and went on to make 124 appearances, scoring 34 goals while winning five league titles and three Croatian Cups. His performances earned him a move to German side RB Leipzig in 2020, where he lifted back-to-back DFB-Pokal titles in 2022 and 2023, as well as the 2023 DFL-Supercup, memorably scoring a hat-trick in the final. Olmo returned to his boyhood club, Barcelona, in 2024 and has since added the FIFA World Cup to the UEFA Euro 2024 title he helped Spain win. His final destination in the social media post -- 'New York' -- marked the city where he achieved the biggest honour of his career after Spain overcame defending champions Argentina at MetLife Stadium. Olmo featured in all eight of Spain's matches during the tournament, contributing two assists while playing a key creative role in Luis de la Fuente's side. The final itself was a tense affair, with Spain dominating possession but struggling to find a way past Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, who produced a series of excellent saves to keep the holders in the contest. Argentina's hopes suffered a major setback in second-half stoppage time when Enzo Fernandez was sent off after receiving a second yellow card, forcing Lionel Scaloni's side to play extra time with 10 men. Spain thought they had taken the lead through Nico Williams early in extra time, only for the goal to be ruled out for a foul in the build-up. The breakthrough finally came in the 106th minute when Ferran Torres latched onto Williams' knockdown and hammered the ball into the roof of the net. The victory secured Spain's second FIFA World Cup title after their maiden success in 2010, while extending their unbeaten international run to a European record 38 matches. For Olmo, whose career has taken him across Spain, Croatia and Germany before returning home, the journey ended with football's greatest prize in New York, a destination that now holds a special place alongside every city that helped shape his rise. (ANI)
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