The Spanish national football team will receive a grand reception Monday evening upon its return from North America, with around one million people expected to gather in the capital Madrid to celebrate 'La Roja' winning the 2026 World Cup for the second time in its history, after a 1-0 extra-time victory over defending champion Argentina early Monday. Francisco Martín, the central government representative in Madrid, told Spanish public television that the parade will start from the vicinity of Moncloa Palace, the official residence of the Prime Minister, and end at Plaza de Cibeles, the traditional gathering place for Spanish fans and their celebrations. Martín predicted that about one million people would line the parade route, with additional security measures and enhanced transport services to accommodate the crowds, noting the deployment of 2,050 police officers and 400 Civil Guard members. This triumph has sparked a huge wave of national pride in football-obsessed Spain, as many young fans had never seen the men's team lift the World Cup, since its only previous title came 16 years ago at the 2010 finals in South Africa. Coach Luis de la Fuente's squad is scheduled to arrive in Madrid at 12:50 p.m. Spanish time, with an official reception from King Felipe VI and Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who were also present at MetLife Stadium. An open-top bus awaits the world champions to transport them through central Madrid in a celebratory parade starting at 4:30 p.m. local time. These scenes are expected to evoke memories of the celebrations after Spain's first World Cup win in 2010, when hundreds of thousands of fans filled the streets of Madrid to welcome the team back from South Africa. While Spain awaits the team's arrival, celebrations continued throughout Sunday night from Madrid to the smallest Spanish villages. The capital was bustling with activity after the final, as thousands of fans who watched the match in three designated fan zones poured into the streets to celebrate. Car horns sounded and fireworks lit up the sky, as streets and squares filled with supporters moments after the final whistle. At Plaza de Colón in Madrid, where one of the fan zones was set up to watch the match, people were seen wrapped in the red-and-yellow Spanish flag, singing and dancing late into a warm summer night, while others set off flares and fireworks, according to an AFP journalist. Joyful fans chanted 'Campeones, campeones, campeones' (Champions, champions, champions). Others shouted 'Viva España' in celebration of an achievement coming just two years after 'La Roja' won the 2024 European Championship, while the women's team still holds the World Cup title it won in 2023.