Spain's Fabian Ruiz, Gavi awarded weight in tomatoes for World Cup win
· Yahoo Sports
July 22 (UPI) -- Los Palacios y Villafranca honored hometown heroes Fabian Ruiz and Gavi with their weight in tomatoes for helping Spain win the 2026 World Cup.
The midfielders participated in a ceremony Tuesday at town hall in the Spanish province of Seville, which is known for tomato production. They stepped on scales and were presented with their weight -- in kilograms -- of the fruit.
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Ruiz weighed in at about 187 pounds (85 kg.), while Gavi was about 151 pounds, or- 68.5 kg.
Ruiz, 30, played 366 minutes for the Spaniards at the World Cup. The Paris Saint-Germain midfielder scored the first goal in a 2-1 win over Belgium in the quarterfinals.
Gavi, 21, logged 85 minutes at the tournament. The Barcelona midfielder also teamed up with Ruiz and the Spaniards to win a 2023 UEFA Nations League title.
Spanish midfielder Gavi (L) logged 85 minutes for Spain at the 2026 World Cup. File Photo by Christian Brunskill/UPIOfficials also announced the municipal grass soccer fields in the area will be renamed "Fabian Ruiz Football Field" and "Pablo Pez Gabira 'Gavi' Football Field."
The city plans to construct a monument honoring Gavi, Ruiz and Jesus Navas, another local who won the 2010 World Cup with the Spaniards.
Spain celebrates a 1-0 win over Argentina in the 2026 World Cup Final on Sunday in East Rutherford, N.J. Photo by Christian Brunskill/UPIGavi and Ruiz participated in a parade with their teammates Monday in Madrid. Spain also will receive $51 million and become the first World Cup team to receive championship rings for winning the title. Those rings will be customized and presented at a later date.