Fabián Ruiz: 'Winning the World Cup with your country is truly special'
Fabián Ruiz returned home as a world champion. A few days after helping Spain lift the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the Paris Saint-Germain midfielder was welcomed by thousands of supporters in Los Palacios y Villafranca, the Andalusian town where his footballing journey began.
Speaking to PSG.fr during his emotional homecoming, Fabián reflected on Spain’s triumph, his extraordinary season and the support he received from the capital club throughout the tournament.
“I’m really very happy. It’s an incredible feeling,” Fabián told PSG.fr. “Being world champion with your country is truly special. We’ve had some extraordinary moments and we’ve received so much support from the fans. I’m very proud to have won this trophy.”
Spain’s second World Cup triumph was not achieved without difficulties. La Roja were forced to overcome an uncertain start to the tournament, as well as the challenges of spending several weeks away from home in unfamiliar conditions.
Fabián nevertheless revealed that the squad never lost confidence in its ability to go all the way.
“It was a unique experience,” he explained. “We were far from our families and had to adapt to the conditions, but we always had faith in our team.
“Despite the first match raising some doubts, we knew what we were capable of. As the tournament progressed, we improved, and we couldn’t have hoped for a better ending.”
Paris friendships put aside
Spain’s route to glory included a semi-final meeting with France, placing Fabián in direct opposition to several of his Paris Saint-Germain teammates.
The midfielder had already encountered other familiar faces earlier in the competition, but admitted that those friendships had to be briefly forgotten once the players stepped onto the pitch.
“It’s always special to come up against teammates you spend every day with,” he said. “During the match, everyone is fighting for their own side, but after the final whistle, we swapped shirts and had a good time together.
“Football also helps to create some wonderful friendships.”
The World Cup victory completed an exceptional campaign for Fabián, who had already enjoyed a trophy-laden season with PSG before joining up with the Spanish national team.
“I couldn’t have asked for anything better,” he said. “With Paris Saint-Germain, we’ve won almost every title there is to win, and to end this season by winning the World Cup with Spain is simply incredible.
“It’s a year I’ll never forget, both with Paris and with the national team.”
Fabián also revealed the extent of the support he received from PSG throughout the tournament, with messages arriving from across the club after each of Spain’s matches.
“The President, Luis Campos, the coach, the staff and everyone at Paris Saint-Germain sent me messages after every match,” he said. “They also supported my family throughout the whole adventure. I’m very grateful to them and it meant a lot to me.”
A hero’s return to Los Palacios
That support was matched by an emotional reception in Los Palacios, where the streets were filled by locals eager to celebrate one of their own.
For Fabián, returning home with the World Cup represented a particularly powerful moment.
“Seeing an entire village come together like this fills me with immense pride,” he said. “Los Palacios is a place I’m deeply attached to, and one that I represent with great pride wherever I play. To receive such warmth here is very special.”
The midfielder also thanked the Parisian supporters who followed his progress throughout the tournament.
“The Paris Saint-Germain fans are exceptional,” he added. “No matter where we play, they’re always behind us and never stop cheering us on.
“You can feel their support on the pitch, and it drives us to give our very best. I’d like to thank them for all their messages during this World Cup.”
Among those watching the celebrations was Fabián’s brother Alejandro, who described the emotion of seeing the PSG midfielder return to his hometown as a world champion.
“The fact that my brother has won the World Cup with Spain and is being welcomed in this way by the people of his town is one of the most wonderful things you can experience,” he told PSG.fr. “I’m incredibly proud of him and I’m still finding it hard to take in everything that’s happening.”
For Fabián Ruiz, an unforgettable season ended exactly where his story had begun: surrounded by family, friends and the people of Los Palacios, with the World Cup trophy in his hands.
Quotes courtesy of PSG.fr.
