For "Catalan" political purposes.. mural of "hero" Ferran Torres vandalised in Barcelona

Vandals have destroyed the mural painted by celebrated urban artist "TV Boy" in tribute to Ferran Torres, the hero of the last World Cup final. Unknown individuals covered the artwork entirely with white paint over the past hours.

The artist had finished the piece in Barcelona's working-class Gràcia district, on Escorial Street near Joanic Square, to mark the historic moment Torres handed Spain the world title. It didn't survive long. A wave of anger from some protesting groups swept it away.

Torres appeared in the original mural wearing the Spain national team shirt as he kissed the World Cup, a nod to his decisive goal against Argentina.

According to reports from the scene cited by "Mundo Deportivo", the mural was obscured on Wednesday morning, only hours after its completion. Writings opposing Spanish unity and demanding recognition of Catalan sporting national teams appeared on what remained of it.

The vandalism was no coincidence. It came amid political and sporting controversy that trailed the crowning of "the Matadors" as world champions. Ferran Torres scored the historic winner in the 106th minute of extra time at the New Jersey stadium, then sparked a storm of criticism during the celebration parade in Madrid.

Torres turned up wearing a red cap emblazoned with the slogan "Make Spain Great Again", a direct nod to Donald Trump's campaign line. That gave the celebration a political tinge and drew mixed reactions across Catalan and Spanish circles.

Some brushed the cap off as a joke or a reference to the final being staged in the United States. Others read into it political messages aimed at the current Spanish government, or an alignment with certain currents.

Speaking through his social media accounts, the mural artist vowed to keep painting and refused to be intimidated by the threats he had received. Art, he insisted, should stay far from narrow political conflicts.

This is not the first incident of its kind. Just a few days ago, another mural of Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal, painted by the "Colour Axe" group, was vandalised in Barcelona too.

The tension spilled beyond the pitches and walls into financial and property accusations aimed at Torres. Alberto Ibáñez, the MP for the "Sumar" coalition, published claims that Ferran Torres's company operates as an "investment fund exploiting distressed assets" and bought dozens of homes in Valencia for property speculation.

Sources close to the player rejected those claims. They pointed out that the company's main assets amount to a commercial building next to the Mestalla stadium, earmarked for administrative offices rather than personal residence.

Official data and those close to Torres tell a different story. He currently owns just four homes: his residence in Barcelona, two properties in Valencia and a holiday home, plus a plot of land he plans to build on in the future.

"Forbes" magazine had reported that the Spanish forward owns 20 properties spread between Valencia and Catalonia. The MP leaned on that figure in his campaign demanding legal reforms to stop companies owned by athletes and investors from snapping up residential properties for speculation. The pressure on the Barcelona star, both public and political, only grew.

The controversy didn't stop at Ferran Torres. His teammate Marc Cucurella, recently signed by Real Madrid, drew Argentine fire of his own during the celebrations when the defender picked "Malbec" by Argentine artists "Duki" and "Bizarrap" to mark the occasion atop the stage in Cibeles Square in Madrid.

Argentine outlets pounced. The newspaper "Tyc Sports" saw the choice of a song by Argentine artists, its lyrics all about superiority and celebrating the title, as deliberate mockery of Argentina, beaten by Spain in the final. The media exchange between the two sides only grew fiercer.