A mural dedicated to Spain’s World Cup winner Ferran Torres has been vandalised within 24 hours in Barcelona.
Torres, who plays for Barcelona, scored Spain’s winning goal in extra time on Sunday to seal a 1-0 victory over Argentina in the World Cup final.
Italian street artist TVBoy travelled to Barcelona this week to paint the mural of Torres kissing the World Cup trophy during Spain’s celebrations.
The mural also including the words ‘Making History’ and two stars depicting Spain’s World Cup wins in 2010 and 2026.
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However, the mural was defaced in under a day as vandals spray-painted politically motivated messages, ‘F*** Spain’ and ‘We want Catalan national teams’, over the image of Torres and the World Cup trophy.
The mural was located near the Joanic metro station in Barcelona’s Gracia neighbourhood.
On Tuesday, Barcelona’s city council stepped in and painted the entire wall black, removing both the original artwork and the graffiti.
TVBoy responded to the criticism he received on social media against the mural from those supporting Catalan independence.
‘I’ll keep painting. You don’t scare me,’ he wrote.
Spain’s players returned home from the United States on Monday as nearly two million people gathered in Madrid to celebrate the nation’s World Cup victory.
Before the open-top bus parade through the Madrid streets, Spain’s players were greeted by Spanish King Felipe and Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.
‘I would like to give immense thanks to the staff and the players for your playing style, effort and victory,’ Sanchez told the players.
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