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Colón will be Madrid’s great square for following Spain at the 2026 World Cup
Madrid now has a meeting point to experience the 2026 World Cup away from the sofa. The Royal Spanish Football Federation will turn Plaza de Colón into the so-called Plaza Selección, a free space with giant screens, music, activities, food and a trophy museum to follow Spain during the group stage.
The idea is to recover that atmosphere of a major collective occasion that Colón has already experienced at other moments involving the national team. It will not be just a screen for watching matches: the venue will also have an official shop, leisure areas and an exhibition of historic trophies, designed to attract regular fans as well as families and curious people who want to come before the opening whistle.
Admission will be free until capacity is reached. During the group stage, the space will open especially for Spain's first two matches: on 15 June against Cabo Verde and on 21 June against Saudi Arabia, both at 18:00, mainland time. On those two days, Plaza Selección will operate from 12:00 to 22:30.
Spain's third match, against Uruguay, will be played in Guadalajara, Mexico, in the Spanish early hours of 27 June. That day, Colón will also open from 12:00 to 18:30 to keep World Cup activity going, although the match time requires it to be experienced differently.
The national team arrives at the World Cup drawn in Group H alongside Cabo Verde, Saudi Arabia and Uruguay. The first two matches will be played in Atlanta, a host city where the RFEF will also set up a “Casa de España” to accompany the team outside the country.
Madrid will also add small World Cup touches at other points around the city. Metro de Madrid will put a special train into service on line 4, decorated in the colours of the national team, which will connect with Colón and accompany the tournament atmosphere during the competition.
Colón thus once again occupies a very recognisable place in Madrid's footballing imagination. It is a square accustomed to celebrations, flags and long nights, but during the World Cup it will operate to another rhythm: people arriving from midday, red shirts, families looking for a spot and a city that, for a few hours, will once again watch the match on a giant screen and in company.