Olga Carmona scored Spain's historic winning goal at the Women's World Cup — and then found out her father had died
What should have been a day of celebration quickly turned into one of mourning on Sunday at the FIFA Women's World Cup. Olga Carmona, who scored Spain's winning goal against England to take home the nation's first World Cup title, learned after the match that her father had died.
The Royal Spanish Football Federation announced the news of her father's death on Sunday after the game, saying that she "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," the federation said. "We love you, Olga, you are the history of Spanish football."
Carmona, a 23-year-old left-back for Real Madrid, scored the team's only and winning goal of the World Cup final in the first half on Sunday. It was a history-making goal, earning the women national team's first World Cup title.
"And without knowing it, I had my Star before the game started," Carmona wrote Sunday on social media, along with a photo of her kissing the World Cup gold medal. The remark was in reference to the star that will now be placed alongside the team's logo, indicating their international win.
"I know that you have given me the strength to achieve something unique," she said of her father. "I know that you have been watching me tonight and that you are proud of me. Rest in peace dad."
The details surrounding her father's death have not been revealed, but it happened as Carmona's mother and other family members were in Australia to watch her final match, the federation said.
Carmona's victory-winning goal wasn't the only part of the game that made history in Spain. The federation said that Sunday's final match set an all-time audience record for women's soccer in the country, with nearly 8.9 million unique viewers.
"The match between Spain and England became the most-watched women's football game in the history of our country," the federation said. "Another success for our team and for Spanish women's sports."