I'm looking for real images of the event for the gallery.
Come on, not everything is going to be refereeing controversies or debates about whether the national team unites more than the flag. Today it's something more... agricultural. Turns out in Los Palacios y Villafranca, the hometown of Fabián Ruiz and Gavi, they have given them a tribute that you wouldn't expect even in the best of memes: they have gifted them their weight in tomatoes. 🍅
No, it's no joke. The town council has put together a ceremony where they brought scales, boxes and kilos and kilos of local tomatoes (which by the way are amazing, Los Palacios tomatoes are famous). And there they weighed the two world champions and gave them the equivalent in tomatoes. So if Fabián weighs 73 kg, then 73 kg of tomatoes. And Gavi, who weighs less, his share.
The most mind-blowing: the tradition comes from the Ismaili Muslims, who gave Aga Khan III his weight in gold, diamonds, and platinum. Here they have exchanged precious metals for the town's star product. An amazing symbolism: the countryside, effort, the land... and football.
Player | Approx. weight (estimated) | Equivalent in tomatoes | Real value in gold (if it were gold) |
|---|---|---|---|
Fabián Ruiz | ~73 kg | 73 kg of Los Palacios tomatoes | ~4,6 million € |
Gavi | ~65 kg | 65 kg of Los Palacios tomatoes | ~4,1 million € |
Total | 138 kg | 138 kg of tomatoes | ~8.7 million € |
Gold prices: ~€63,000/kg (July 2026). Tomatoes: ~€1.5/kg. The gesture: priceless.
I don't know, I think it's a really nice gesture. I prefer this a thousand times over a boring plaque or a minute of silence. Besides, the tomato from Los Palacios is a product with Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) and incredible quality. I'm sure Fabián and Gavi have gone home with their trunks full and are going to make some great salads, gazpachos and salmorejos all summer.
But of course, there are also those who say: 'Tomatoes? After winning a World Cup? They could have given them a car, a house or a ham.' And I ask you:
Do you think this tomato tribute is a good one or do you think they could have put more effort into it? Would you have liked it if in your town they weighed you in local produce if you won something big? 🍅🤔
By the way, the image I posted is from the event, they set up a market in the square and there was even a tomato tasting for the neighbors. Now that's community, huh. No private parties or anything.
My opinion: I love it. It's original, it combines agricultural tradition with sports, and it shows that the town is proud of its two stars. Besides, Gavi is a kid who comes from there, from the Betis youth academy, and Fabián too. Seeing two guys who have been world champions get emotional over a box of tomatoes… it's worth more than any gold medal.
Photo: elmundo.es
What do you say? Would you sign up for your town council to weigh you in chorizo, cheese, or whatever is typical of your land? Because if I won the World Cup and in my town they gave me my weight in Burgos blood sausage, I'd sign right now. 🏆🍅