No World Cup winner’s fee. The goal of a lifetime Ferran Torres scored in the final against Argentina is priceless, but his work for his home region will cost nothing. That was the player’s own condition. “Ferran made it a condition that he would not be paid,” say officials in the Comunitat Valenciana, which can now count on the forward as its global ambassador. “He made us understand that, for him, this is a commitment to his homeland. He has always shown that he is a Valencian like everyone else. His values make him a great representative of our land around the world.”
Ferran Torres has never been more recognisable, in Spain or beyond. He is 26, the same age Iniesta was when he decided the 2010 World Cup. From here on, nothing will quite be the same, including the opportunities that come with his name away from football. Ferran has chosen not to put any burden on Valencian taxpayers. He was born in Foios, just outside the regional capital, and came through the ranks around Mestalla before making his first-team debut. A major celebration is planned in Foios in the coming days, with the hero of America set to meet his fellow townspeople. Another reminder of a bond that has never gone away.
The honorary and diplomatic title of ambassador comes after the forward had already received all kinds of tributes in these parts. After the World Cup final, even a shark at Valencia’s oceanarium was renamed after him. The Comunitat’s initiative is another step into public life, and Ferran intends to take on the role entirely pro bono. Then there is Barcelona. His contract is running down, and there is still no news on that front. But Camp Nou is not Mestalla: another region, another football culture, another business. Ferran knows where he belongs. Now he has an official role there too, while his career goes on. And even without a fee, goals like that will pay their way. No doubt about it.