Elated Spain supporters poured into some of New York City’s most recognizable gathering spots Sunday, celebrating their World Cup champions from Times Square to Hudson Yards and Rockefeller Center.
In Times Square, the red-and-yellow crowd erupted into chants of “F–k Messi!” according to raucous video from the scene, while photos showed fans lifting a replica World Cup trophy as they cheered Spain’s soccer heroes.
“Go! Go! Espana!” another energized group shouted beneath the Vessel at Hudson Yards in Manhattan, turning the plaza into an impromptu victory party.
“I still can’t quite believe it,” said Javier Morales, 42, of Madrid, reflecting on Spain’s triumph after the tense 1-0 final outside MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ, where the World Cup showdown was held.
“Argentina made the match very difficult,” Morales said. “They defended with so many players, and you always had the feeling that one counterattack could change everything.
“But Spain didn’t lose its shape or get desperate. They kept the ball, kept moving Argentina around and waited for the space to come.
“And now they’re world champions. It’s hard to even say that out loud.”
Spain supporter Diego Navarro, 31, described the atmosphere and excitement as “insane.”
“My voice is completely gone,’’ he said.
“I’ve been screaming, jumping, hugging strangers — I don’t even know what’s happening anymore.
“Spain had chance after chance, and you’re thinking, ‘Come on, just put one away.’ Then the goal goes in, and the whole place explodes. Argentina fought hard, obviously, but Spain was on top of them all night.
“I don’t remember the final whistle. I just remember everybody losing their minds.”
Elena Ruiz, 36, of Miami admitted, “Honestly, I’m mostly relieved’’ that the down-to-the-wire match was over.
“When you have that much of the ball and still can’t score, you start imagining the worst. I kept thinking it was going to penalties, and I really did not want to watch that,’’ she said.
“But Spain stayed calm. They didn’t start rushing or taking wild shots. They just kept playing, kept believing something would open up. And it finally did.
“I’m so happy for them. They looked like the best team in the tournament, and tonight they proved it.”
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Argentina fans meanwhile looked on in jealousy at Spain’s exuberant contingents, overcome with disappointment at their team’s loss.
Some wept — keeping in mind that the game could be the last World Cup match for their beloved star player, Lionel Messi.
“I really thought this was going to be our day. But what can you do?’’ said Santiago Ferreyra, 34, of Buenos Aires, outside MetLife.
He called his team’s loss to Spain “brutal.”
“Spain was just — they were so good with the ball,” Ferreyra told The Post.
“If you’re going to lose, I guess losing by one goal to a team like that is about all you can ask. It hurts like hell right now, though. I’m proud of them, but I’m hurting,” he said.
Matias Benitez, 29, of Astoria, Queens, added that despite the loss, he was proud of how Argentina played, saying the team showed “a lot of heart.
“They never let the game get away from them. One break the other way, and maybe we’re talking about extra time,” Benitez said.
“That’s what’s so frustrating. But yeah, I’ll remember how hard they fought more than anything.”
The game drew rabid football fans to the metro region from all over the world.
Fernando Serlnanga told The Post that he flew up from Argentina the day before the final game with two relatives, who paid $9,000 per ticket to see their team’s doomed championship match.
“Twenty hours on a direct flight,” Serlnanga said.
Santiago Gutiérrez Marín was decked out in red facepaint, repping Spain as he ran to catch his train to MetLife earlier in the day.
“The World Cup final with your country in it. Unbeatable!’’ he said.
Jetlagged pals and Argentina fans Andres Garin and Hector Espinosa said they’d taken 15 flights to follow their team across the US, watching them play in Kansas City, Miami and New York.
“We went back to Argentina, saw the result of the game against England, and we thought, ‘Let’s go back’ then turned right back around,” Espinosa said.
-Additional reporting by Fenix Suriel
