Leonor and Sofía recreate their most unforgettable photo with the World Cup trophy 16 years later.
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The princesses joined their parents, King Felipe and Queen Letizia, at the championship game between Argentina in East Rutherford, N.J., on Sunday, July 19. Princess Leonor, 20, and Princess Sofia, 19, rooted on “La Roja” from a private box, as the King and Queen joined Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and President Donald Trump in a high-security suite.
The hard-fought match came down to one goal, made by Ferran Torres in the 106th minute, and the Spanish royals took the field after the match to celebrate with the team.
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After Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino presented the trophy to the winners, they handed it around to the royals, who hoisted the golden cup as the team sang and danced behind them.
For Leonor and Sofia, this year’s celebratory moment was extra special, as they were too young to attend the World Cup the last time Spain won, in 2010. The Spanish royal family was represented at those games, which were held in Johannesburg, South Africa, by then-Crown Prince Felipe and Princess Letizia, as well as Felipe’s parents, King Juan Carlos, who abdicated in 2014, and Queen Sofía.
The princesses did, however, get to join in the celebrations back home. They were on hand for the reception at the Royal Palace in Madrid when the team returned home, and Spain’s goalkeeper and captain, Iker Casillas, presented them with the trophy in a memorable moment.
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The day after their latest victory, the royal family welcomed the team back to Spain once again. On Monday, July 12, the team attended a reception at the Zarzuela Palace before embarking on a series of public celebrations. The day culminated with La Roja presenting the World Cup trophy to their fans in the Plaza de Cibeles.
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The royal family’s official social media accounts also celebrated the team with multiple social media posts, featuring photos and videos from the championship celebrations.
“Congratulations @sefutbol 🇪🇸💪🏻,” read the caption to their victory post. “This star is the reward for a journey that was as long as it was demanding—a path traveled with hard work, sacrifice, perseverance, and exemplary dedication in every match.”
“You faced every challenge with the conviction of a great team and took Spain’s name to the very top,” the post continued. “Congratulations to the players, the coaching staff, and all the fans. Today we celebrate a title; tomorrow we will remember a legend.”
It’s been an exciting year for the Spanish royal daughters, especially Princess Leonor, who has taken on more duties as heir to the throne.
The Princess of Asturias is in the final months of her three-year military training program, during which she spent time with the Spanish army, navy and air force — even becoming the first member of the Spanish royal family to qualify as a paratrooper. The preparation to one day lead Spain’s military forces will be completed later this year; in September, she will start a four-year bachelor’s degree program in political science at the Charles III University of Madrid.
Before that begins, the future monarch has also made sure to take time for some fun summer activities. Last month, she and Princess Sofía were spotted dancing in a VIP box at Bad Bunny’s Debí Tirar Más Fotos World Tour performance at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano in Madrid.
“[They were] having the time of their lives,” said journalist Javi Hoyos, who posted a clip of the princesses in a video shared on TikTok. “I love seeing them like regular people. These images are great because they remind us they’re human, they’re young women enjoying themselves.”




