"Oops! My neck" — nearly choked while cutting the net to celebrate... Spanish goalkeeper's dizzying near-miss: "Hanging suspended in mid-air"

*This content was translated by AI.

Spain national team goalkeeper David Raya (31, Arsenal) experienced a dizzying moment when his gold medal, worn around his neck during a World Cup victory celebration, got tangled in the goal net.

Britain's "The Sun" reported on the 21st (Korea time) that "as Spain's World Cup victory party began, Raya climbed onto the goalpost to cut the net as a souvenir but became caught mid-descent when his medal snagged on the netting."

The outlet explained, "The medal wouldn't come loose from the net, causing the medal strap to tighten tautly. For a split second, Raya was left dangling awkwardly in mid-air. However, he quickly assessed the situation, freed the medal from the net, and landed safely back on the field."

It further added, "Raya, who did not play a single minute in this tournament, laughed off the dizzying incident and shared the joy of becoming world champions with his teammates."

Spain defeated Argentina 1-0 in the 2026 FIFA North American World Cup final held on the 20th at New York/New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA. The match ended 0-0 after 90 minutes of regular time before Ferran Torres scored the winning goal in the first minute of extra time. This marked Spain's second World Cup title overall, their first since the 2010 South Africa tournament — a 16-year gap.

Spain conceded just one goal throughout the entire tournament, setting a new record for fewest goals allowed by a champion. With an unbeaten run of eight matches (seven wins, one draw) and extending their unbeaten streak in A-international matches to 38 games, they demonstrated the overwhelming dominance of their "Invincible Fleet."

Raya is a Spanish goalkeeper currently playing as Arsenal's first-choice keeper in England's Premier League. After joining Arsenal from Brentford, he has established himself as a key player with exceptional shot-stopping ability alongside precise kicking and build-up skills required in modern football. While firmly entrenched as the starting goalkeeper at his club, he serves primarily as a backup for the Spanish national team behind Unai Simón (Athletic Bilbao), which explains why he did not feature in any matches during this tournament.

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*This content was translated by AI.