Torres carries a tattoo on his ankle, an anchor paired with the words "I refuse to sink." Early in the World Cup, that message felt almost ironic. He arrived in the tournament off a rough patch for both club and country, having managed only six goals in twenty appearances since the start of the year, and had missed a string of clear-cut chances along the way.

Online, he became an easy target, with fans and rival supporters mocking him relentlessly through memes that compared him unfavorably to teammates like Lamine Yamal.

A Painful Start Turns Into Public Mockery
Things got worse before they got better. Torres failed to find the net in Spain's opening match against Cape Verde, a game he started only because Yamal was still working his way back from injury.

Being handed that opportunity and not taking it made him an even bigger target for critics. Then came a gut-punching moment against Saudi Arabia, when he thought he had scored, only for the assistant referee's flag to go up for offside. As officials reviewed the goal, cameras caught him standing still, hands clasped, quietly hoping aloud for the decision to go his way.

When the review confirmed there was no goal, his reaction told the whole story: a player visibly shaken, his shoulders sinking as he turned away from the crowd.

Despite the setback, Torres kept getting minutes, usually coming on for the in-form Mikel Oyarzabal, who had already scored five.