Read 3 minutesUpdated: 20 July 2026 11:57 PM IST
therefore Ferran Torres scores the winning goal for Spain in the FIFA World Cup final In the 106th minute, it brought back memories for Vijay Patil, who was watching from the stands at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
Torres’ football journey was through India and Navi MumbaiWhen he was part of the Spanish squad for the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup held in India.
One of his teammates in the current senior team, Eric Garcia, also played at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.
DY Patil Stadium owner Vijay Patil during the FIFA World Cup Final. Torres played at the DY Patil Stadium in 2017. (Special arrangement)
“Torres and Garcia came with the under-17 team and played at my ground. Watching him score in the World Cup final was a wonderful experience and one to remember. I saw him as a kid in Navi Mumbai and like most of their players, he was one to watch out for,” Patil told The Indian Express from the USA.
DY Patil Stadium, a cricket ground, was converted into a football ground for the U-17 World Cup.
A goal depicting Spain winning the FIFA World Cup! 🏆 pic.twitter.com/haCKMQYzOL
— Santino (@TheRealSantino) 20 July 2026
“It’s very special to see someone who came to India in his prime and then to see him score a World Cup-winning goal. Spain beat Mali in the 2017 tournament, but I remember dragging some of my friends to watch this young crop of players. I told them ‘who knows, some of them could become great footballers in the future’,” he added.
Patil recalled that even at the Under-17 level, some Spanish footballers impressed him with their level of play, especially as India, like India, never gets a chance to see such raw talent at the global level.
Spain reached the final of that tournament but lost 2–5 to England despite taking an early 2–0 lead. Phil Foden scored two goals for England.