MADRID- Iberia (IB) flew the Spain national football team home to Madrid after the squad won the 2026 FIFA World Cup, operating a special charter as flight IB1410 with a specially painted Airbus A350-900.
The service ran nonstop from Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) to Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport (MAD).
Spain beat Argentina 1-0 after a 120 minute final at MetLife Stadium, temporarily branded the New York-New Jersey Stadium, on Sunday, July 19.
Thousands of people tracked the return flight on Flightradar24 as the team carried the trophy back to the Spanish capital, landing on Monday, July 20.
Iberia’s A350 Brings La Roja Home With The Trophy
Iberia flew the newly crowned world champions back to Madrid on Monday, carrying the FIFA World Cup trophy on board along with many of the players and support crew. The charter departed from Newark in the early hours of the morning.
According to Simple Flying, the service was scheduled to leave at 1:42 AM but pushed back from the gate 18 minutes behind schedule, becoming airborne around 2:00 AM.
The aircraft flew nonstop across the Atlantic Ocean and covered roughly 3,605 miles (5,803 km) in about 6 hours and 30 minutes.
It touched down at Madrid-Barajas at around 2:30 PM local time. Coach Luis de la Fuente was the first to step off the aircraft, followed by captain Rodri, who lifted the trophy at the top of the airstairs. A Spanish flag flew from the cockpit window as the widebody taxied to the terminal.
Spain won its second World Cup title, 16 years after its first at the 2010 tournament in South Africa. Ferran Torres scored the only goal, and Spain held on through extra time after Argentina were reduced to 10 men when Enzo Fernández was sent off late in the match.
Rodri was named the tournament’s best player and received the Golden Ball. Spain also finished the tournament as the only side to concede a single goal across the entire competition.
The win gave Spain both the men’s and women’s world titles at the same time, as the Spanish women hold the reigning FIFA Women’s World Cup crown. This marked the first time the men’s squad set foot on Spanish soil since lifting the trophy.
Special World Cup Livery
The aircraft that operated the charter was Iberia’s Airbus A350-900 registered EC-MYX, which carried a special FIFA World Cup 2026 livery.
Iberia, an official sponsor of the national team, applied decals of the players across the rear fuselage along with the slogan “Despega un equipo, vuela un país,” meaning “A team takes off, a country flies.” The design also featured a single star marking Spain’s 2010 title.
The same airframe flew the squad to the tournament. On June 5, it operated the outbound charter from Santiago-Rosalía de Castro Airport (SCQ) in Galicia to Nashville International Airport (BNA) in the United States, close to the team’s training base. The aircraft therefore carried the team both to the World Cup and home again as champions.
A350-900 “Paco de Lucía”
Beneath the World Cup wrap, EC-MYX carries the name “Paco de Lucía,” after the stage name of Francisco Sánchez Gómez, the celebrated Spanish flamenco guitarist, composer, and producer.
The jet made its first flight on July 17, 2018, under the test registration F-WZHC, and Iberia took delivery on July 27 that year. It seats 348 passengers in a three-class layout.
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Registration | EC-MYX |
| Aircraft Type | Airbus A350-941 |
| Serial Number (MSN) | 227 |
| Test Registration | F-WZHC |
| First Flight | July 17, 2018 |
| Delivery to Iberia | July 27, 2018 |
| Hex Code | 346057 |
| Engines | Two Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-84 |
| Cabin Class | Seats |
|---|---|
| Business Class | 31 |
| Premium Economy | 24 |
| Economy Class | 293 |
| Total | 348 |
Iberia’s Fleet
Iberia operates 23 A350-900s, which make up more than half of its widebody fleet. The rest of the widebody fleet consists of 13 A330-200s and eight A330-300s.
The airline uses these jets, along with the A321XLR, for transatlantic and other long-haul routes.
The A321XLR lets Iberia serve thinner transatlantic markets more efficiently while the larger A350 and A330 aircraft handle higher-demand routes.
For domestic and European flying, Iberia operates an all-Airbus narrow-body fleet made up of the A319-100, A320-200, A320neo, A321-200, and A321neo.
This fleet supports its network across Spain, Europe, and nearby international markets, feeding passengers into the long-haul operation from Madrid.
Coordinated Welcome At Madrid-Barajas
Spain’s players received a hero’s welcome at the airport, with hundreds of supporters gathering at Terminal 4 waving flags and chanting.
Airport operator Aena said the reception was the result of close coordination among the professionals involved, allowing the special operation to run as planned.
Hundreds of media personnel lined the apron to capture the team disembarking the A350. The players posed in front of the widebody while holding the World Cup, and airport personnel and police escorted the aircraft along the taxiway. Signage inside the terminal read “enhorabuena campeones,” meaning “congratulations champions.”
From Airport To Streets Of Madrid
After the airport reception, the squad traveled into the city center for the official celebrations.
The players boarded an open-top bus for a parade through central Madrid, where an estimated 2 million fans lined the streets.
From the bus, the team waved to the crowds and lifted the trophy in front of the record crowd.
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