Women’s World Cup 2023: Spain hero Olga Carmona learns of father's death after final

Olga Carmona, who scored the only goal in Spain's win over England in the World Cup final Sunday, learned after the match that her father had died.

The Spanish soccer federation shared the news several hours after Carmona and her teammates won their country's first women's World Cup title.

"We send our most sincere hugs to Olga and her family in a moment of deep pain," the federation wrote in Spanish. "We love you, Olga; you are the history of Spanish football."

After scoring in the 29th minute in Sydney, Carmona lifted her jersey to reveal another shirt underneath with the word "Merchi" on it. In an on-field interview after the 1-0 result, she explained that the gesture was in honor of "the mother of one of my best friends who has recently passed away."

"I celebrated the goal with her shirt," Carmona said in Spanish, "and from here, I dedicate this to the whole family with all my love."

The Spanish federation did not share a cause of death for Carmona's father or say when she learned the news. During a lengthy trophy presentation following the match, she could be seen celebrating with her teammates.

A 23-year-old defender who plays for Real Madrid, Carmona was Spain's captain against England. In the same role during the semifinals, she scored an 89th-minute goal that gave Spain a 2-1 victory over Sweden.

After Sunday's triumph, Carmona said her squad had "done something historical."

"I think all of us, we felt that this team had something special," she added. "I believe that we've shown this on the field, we've shown this in the group stage, in the knockout stage. We've been fighting until the end. We never stopped."

Of her left-footed strike, she said, "It's a moment that you dream of, that you literally dream of when you go to bed and you dream about something that can happen in life."

The Spanish federation said after the match that the team was set to return to Madrid in time for a championship celebration Monday evening.

Real Madrid subsequently said in a statement that the club and its officials "deeply regret" the death of Carmona's father.

"Real Madrid wants to express its condolences and her affection for Olga, her relatives and all her loved ones," the club said. "Rest in peace."