Spain forward Ferran Torres has been given a special tribute for his heroics in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final by having a shark renamed in his honour.
Torres came off the bench in the 62nd minute of the final against Argentina at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Sunday (July 19). With the game tied at 0-0 in the 106th minute, he lashed the ball into the net and his side held on for a 1-0 victory to secure their second FIFA World Cup title (after 2010).
Hailing from a small municipality called Foios, Torres spent 15 years as a youth and then as a senior player with his local LaLiga side Valencia. He went on to join Premier League giants Manchester City in 2020 and Barcelona in 2021. While he was enduring a tough spell in Catalonia in 2022, then-Blaugrana manager Xavi nicknamed him 'El Tiburon' (The Shark) for his tenacity and quiet killer instinct.
The nickname quickly caught on among his teammates and fans, and Ferran himself adopted a shark jaw celebration after scoring goals. He extended the legacy of his nickname beyond the pitch through his work as an animal welfare advocate.
Since 2021, Ferran has been serving as the Champion Ambassador for the Wild at Heart Foundation, which rescues stray dogs and gives them new homes. In addition, the Spain attacker served as the ambassador for Valencia's Fundacion Oceanografic in 2024 and 2025.
On Friday (July 24), the L'Oceanografic oceanarium in Valencia honoured the 26-year-old's FIFA World Cup heroics by naming their two-metre long male sandbar shark 'Ferran' (via Mundo Deportivo). The oceanarium claimed that the renaming would raise awareness about the ecological importance of the sandbar shark, which is considered an 'endangered' species by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature).
Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente labelled the Argentinian players' behaviour after the final whistle in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final as 'unacceptable'.
The game ended as a 1-0 win to La Roja, giving them their second World Cup title (after 2010). During their celebrations, however, multiple members of Argentina's squad and staff came over and attacked them, seemingly without provocation.
Leandro Paredes held Eric Garcia's neck and then shoved Gavi to the ground, while Nahuel Molina tried to knock Rodri over. Nicolas Otamendi also had a war of words with the Spain captain, while coach Roberto Ayala attempted to punch Dani Olmo.
In conversation with Spanish media outlets, De La Fuente has issued his thoughts on the fracas. The 65-year-old said (via Sky Sports):
In 2030, Spain will become the first-ever defending FIFA World Cup champions to host the global footballing extravaganza. They will host the tournament jointly alongside Portugal and Morocco.
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