Spain's World Cup hero Olga Carmona pays tribute to father who passed away before final

Spain's Women's World Cup hero Olga Carmona saw her title celebrations come to a painful end as she learnt of her father's death following the 1-0 final victory over England.

Carmona paid tribute to her father on Monday for giving her the strength "to achieve something unique".

The 23-year-old defender scored the only goal of the final in Sydney on Sunday to help La Roja win the World Cup for the first time in their history.

"And without knowing it, I had my Star before the game started," she posted on X, formerly Twitter.

"I know that you have given me the strength to achieve something unique. I know that you have been watching me tonight and that you are proud of me.

"Rest in peace, dad."

The Spanish federation (RFEF) said Carmona "learnt the sad news after the World Cup final".

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

An RFEF spokesperson told Reuters that Carmona's father had been ill for a long time and had passed away on Friday.

Y sin saberlo tenía mi Estrella antes de que empezase el partido. Sé que me has dado la fuerza para conseguir algo único. Sé que me has estado viendo esta noche y que estás orgulloso de mí. Descansa en paz, papá