Spain’s victory fills the Fòrum and central Barcelona

The Fòrum became the city’s main gathering point. Nearly 27,000 fans watched the match on the giant screen set up by the seafront and celebrated the title amid flags, shirts, chants and phones held aloft to record the moment.

The esplanade gradually began to empty after the final. After one o’clock in the morning, the flow of people and access routes in the area started to return to normal after several hours of a heavy police presence and large crowds.

Plaça de Catalunya brought together another 13,000 people and once again served as one of the central settings for sporting celebrations in Barcelona. The gathering made it necessary to restrict traffic in the surrounding area while the party spread through nearby streets and the upper part of La Rambla.

There were also large groups at Arc de Triomf, where some 5,000 people gathered, and at Plaça d’Espanya, with around a thousand. As the early hours went on, affected roads were reopened and the usual routes through the city centre were restored.

Around 300 Mossos d’Esquadra officers took part in the security operation. Two people were arrested for the violent theft of a mobile phone on Ronda de Sant Pau and a third for the theft of a backpack. Officers also reported one person for disobedience.

The Servei d’Emergències Mèdiques treated 29 people, mostly for minor injuries. Sixteen had to be transferred to healthcare centres such as Hospital Clínic, Hospital del Mar and CUAP Manso, while the rest were discharged at the scene.

The image of the night was divided between the seafront and the city centre: crowds in front of screens, full stations and streets occupied by groups that prolonged the celebration. The Fòrum confirmed its role as a major venue for following sporting events without concentrating all the pressure in the heart of Barcelona.