Ferran Torres' goal in extra time of the 2026 World Cup final caused a seismic tremor recorded throughout Spain. In Sabadell, sensors from the CSIC and IGN captured the vibration of fans celebrating the title.
The seismographs of the Educational Seismic Network in Sabadell recorded the exact moment on Sunday morning when the Valencian Ferran Torres scored the goal that gave Spain its second football World Cup. The sensor located in the city was one of many that detected the vibration caused by the simultaneous jump of millions of fans across the country.
A quake of joy in Sabadell
The National Geographic Institute (IGN) and the Geological and Cartographic Institute of Catalonia (ICGC) confirmed that the most intense acceleration peak occurred at 23:47, just as Ferran Torres' ball went past the Argentine goalkeeper. In Sabadell, the seismic station recorded an anomalous amplitude that experts describe as "anthropogenic seismic noise": the sum of thousands of people jumping in unison in their homes, bars, and streets.
Researcher Jordi Díaz from the CSIC explained that "what's fascinating is that it's not the roar of a stadium, but the vibration of people in their homes, in flats, on terraces, all celebrating at the same time." The tremor in Sabadell was particularly notable because the city had already recorded similar movements during the semi-final against France, when the goals from Mikel Oyarzabal and Pedro Porro also shook the ground.
The accelerogram that narrates the match
The sensor from the Royal Observatory of Madrid provided a graph that has gone viral: it shows an initial peak with a goal disallowed by VAR, a brutal shake with Ferran's goal, another jolt with a second disallowed goal, and finally, the final explosion with the referee's whistle. In Catalonia, the stations in Sabadell, Barcelona, Granollers, Mollet del Vallès, and Santa Coloma de Gramenet replicated that pattern with slight local differences.
The ICGC detailed that the signal in Sabadell was "clearly distinguishable from the usual background noise" and lasted approximately 15 seconds, the time it took for local fans to process the goal and erupt with joy. The data adds to the records from the Euro 2024 final, when the goals from Nico Williams and Oyarzabal had already made Barcelona and Madrid vibrate.
A scientific phenomenon that unites the whole country
The "earthquake" from Ferran Torres' goal was not only felt in Sabadell. Seismometers went wild from Algeciras to Girona, passing through Cádiz, Huelva, Granada, Alcoy, and Elda. The Educational Seismic Network, which includes stations in schools and universities, allowed for a mapping of national euphoria. Peaks of vibration were also detected in Banyoles, Olot, and Torroella de Montgrí.
The IGN shared the accelerogram on social media with the message: "This is how the excitement was recorded last night in Madrid." But the data from Sabadell shows that the excitement was equally intense throughout Catalonia. For local fans, the World Cup title has a special flavour: Ferran Torres' goal, born in Valencia but raised in Barcelona's youth academy, connects with the footballing tradition of the province.
Scientists from the CSIC are already working on a study about "anthropogenic seismic noise" in sporting events, and the data from Sabadell will be key to understanding how collective euphoria can generate vibrations detectable kilometres away. For now, the residents of the city can boast that their ground also shook with La Roja.
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