Spain’s World Cup final hero Ferran Torres has explained why he wore a MAGA-style hat during the team’s celebrations in Madrid last month.
Torres sparked controversy by sporting a red cap resembling one of President Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” hats, except it read, “Make Spain Great Again.”
The political right, and even Trump himself, seized on the headwear as evidence that Torres supported both the president and his political movement.
But, speaking with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins on Monday night, Torres downplayed that interpretation.
Noting that Trump attended the World Cup final, where Spain beat Argentina 1-0 thanks to Torres’ winning goal, Collins asked the forward: “You were later seen wearing a red ‘Make Spain Great Again’ hat, where did you even get that hat from?”
“Yeah, it was a funny moment because it was not about politics. Because, honestly, I don’t know about politics. It was just to be able to see Spain again on the top, winning the World Cup, and it was just to have fun with my friends, with my family and nothing about politics, or nothing about, yeah, this.”
Torres also discussed his future at Barcelona, which he joined from English Premier League side Manchester City in 2022, amid speculation linking him with a move away from his current club.
“Right now, the only thing that I know is on 12th of August I have to stay there and train with them, so let’s see what happens,” he said.
When Collins asked whether he was “open to change” and a possible move, perhaps to European club champions Paris Saint-Germain, Torres replied: “You never know because in football everything can change in one minute, so I have to be ready for everything.”
He added that he is always “trying to think what is going to be the most happy thing for me, only this, and for my family.”
Torres also admitted he was more nervous about throwing out the ceremonial first pitch at an upcoming New York Yankees game than he was before the World Cup final.