Olga Carmona, the captain of Spain’s team, paid tribute to her father Jose Verdasco a few hours after helping her nation win its first FIFA Women’s World Cup trophy on Sunday.
In the FIFA Women’s World Cup final match between La Roja and England at the ANZ Stadium in Sydney, Carmona played the whole 90 minutes.
The Real Madrid star ensured Spain defeated England 1-0 by scoring the game-winning goal in the 29th minute of play.
However, the Spanish football association (RFEF) published a statement on X (formerly Twitter) in the late hours of Sunday that said (translated from Spanish):
“The @RFEF deeply regrets to report the death of Olga Carmona’s father. The football player learned the sad news after the World Cup final. We send our most sincere hugs to Olga and her family in a moment of deep pain. We love you, Olga. You are the history of Spanish football.”
Three hours later, Carmona paid respect to her late father on social media, saying (in English translation of Spanish): “And without knowing it, I had my Star before the game started. I know that you have given me the strength to achieve something unique. I know that you have been watching me tonight and that you are proud of me. Rest in peace, papa.”
