Spanish Pilot Tricks Argentina Fans into Thinking They'd Won World Cup in Midair Prank Before Revealing Spain's Victory

A Spanish pilot’s midair prank left soccer fans sharply divided after he made a plane full of Argentina supporters believe Spain had won the World Cup, only to reveal Spain’s actual victory later. Spain won the final at the New York New Jersey Stadium on Sunday, July 19, 1-0 after extra time, with Ferran Torres scoring to deliver Spain its first World Cup title since 2010. A TikTok user shared footage of the announcement translated from Spanish: the pilot told passengers that the match went “right to the end, including extra time,” then said that only one team could win, and asked them to congratulate their “fellow Argentines.” After wild celebrations, he confirmed the real outcome: “Because Spain has won the World Cup,” according to La Vanguardia. The clip has drawn more than 12 million views and 1.7 million likes. Reactions ranged from humor to complaints of tastelessness, with Argentine outlets describing it as “unpleasant” and “a tasteless joke.”