Ferran Torres said his cap had nothing to do with politics after wearing a version of the MAGA slogan during Spain's victory parade at Cibeles. The Barcelona striker told CNN, "It was just to have fun with my friends and family and it had nothing to do with politics," and added, "Honestly, I don't know anything about politics. It was only about being able to see Spain back on top again, winning the Cup."
The Parade, the Cap, the Spin
Torres, who scored the goal that secured the 2026 World Cup title against Argentina in the 106th minute of the final played at the New York/New Jersey stadium, became the centre of a small media circus after the parade in Madrid. A day earlier, reports had circulated that Torres owned a property company which had allegedly bought "20 homes in Valencia" to speculate with. His entourage said the story about the vulture fund was false. Then came the cap. Then came the interpretations. The Trump administration read the gesture as tacit support for MAGA ideology, and the White House's official account posted, "Everyone wants to join this movement."
That’s the modern spectacle in miniature. A footballer, a parade, a slogan, a property rumour, a White House account trying to draft a Spanish striker into its branding exercise. Everyone gets a turn in the machine. Nobody gets much truth.
Torres said the cap was only about fun, not politics, and insisted he didn't know anything about politics. He also said the only thing he knew for certain was that he had to go back on 12 August and train with Barça. "We'll see what happens (...) in football everything can change in an instant, I'm ready for anything," he said. The line fits the sport's own brutal logic: contracts, transfers, image rights, and the constant churn of players treated as assets moving through the market.
Football, Capital, and the Transfer Market
The 26-year-old, born in 2000, also said he was reportedly in talks to leave Barça ahead of next season, amid rumours he could sign for Paris Saint-Germain. CNN journalist Kaitlan Collins asked Torres about his future and PSG, where he was linked with a move and which is coached by Luis Enrique. Torres said he may change clubs next season. He also appeared on other US television outlets during his stay, with further interviews scheduled on ESPN and NBC's Today show.
The whole thing sits neatly inside football's commercial theatre. A player scores the decisive goal in a World Cup final, then spends the next day fielding questions about property speculation, club transfers, and whether a cap means allegiance to a political slogan. The institutions around him do what they always do: turn movement, labour, and fame into content, then sell the story back to the public.
The Madrid parade at Cibeles was supposed to celebrate Spain's return to the top. Instead, it became another reminder that modern sport doesn't stay on the pitch for long. It gets pulled into branding wars, real-estate rumours, and the endless need of powerful actors to attach themselves to whatever people are already watching. Torres said it was all just fun. The White House said everyone wants in. The market, as usual, was ready for anything.