Paquito Navarro says goodbye to Spain as a world champion, but not to padel

Francisco "Paquito" Navarro ended his career with the Spanish national team as a world champion in Doha on 7 November 2026, confirming after Spain's 2-1 win over Argentina in the FIP World Cup final that this had been his last World Cup in the red shirt. Despite headlines suggesting a retirement, the 37-year-old is leaving the national team only: he continues to compete on the Premier Padel tour.

The distinction matters. Both Padel Addict and Padel Magazine, which covered Spain's post-final press conference, report that Navarro's farewell concerns the World Cup and the Spain team, and that he has not announced his retirement from professional padel.

A bittersweet final day

Navarro's last match for Spain did not go his way. Paired with Jon Sanz in the second rubber, he lost 6-1, 6-2 to Agustín Tapia and Federico Chingotto, the world's leading pair, as Argentina drew level in the tie. Spain still took the title: Juan Lebrón and World Cup debutant Goñi had won the opening rubber 5-7, 7-5, 6-2, and Arturo Coello and Jon Nieto closed it out 6-3, 6-2 in the decider. Our report on Spain's World Cup double has the full results from both finals.

According to both outlets, Navarro used the press conference to defend head coach Juanjo Gutiérrez, who had been criticised for keeping Coello back for the third rubber, and to thank him for his trust. He also revealed that he had asked his team-mates to play the week as though it were their last with Spain too, and said their response went beyond what he had hoped for.

Eighteen years in the red shirt

Navarro's World Cup story began in Calgary in 2008, when Spain won the men's title on his debut. Padel Addict and Padel Magazine both credit him with four world titles with Spain: Calgary 2008, Riviera Maya 2010, Doha 2021 and now Doha 2026. He was also part of the Spain teams beaten in the finals of 2014 in Palma, 2016 in Cascais, 2022 in Dubai and 2024 in Doha, mostly by Argentina.

That record tracks the rivalry that has defined men's padel at national-team level. Spain won in 2008 and 2010, Argentina answered with three straight titles from 2012 to 2016, Spain struck back in 2021, and Argentina took the next two editions before this year's reversal. In words reported by Padel Addict, Navarro summed it up: "With Spain I lived through everything: losing and winning crucial points."

Back to the tour this week

There is no break. Navarro is world No. 8 with 5,993 points and is entered at the Dubai P1 (8–15 November) alongside Martín Di Nenno, the pair seeded fourth in the men's draw.

His 2026 season has been consistent without a title so far: a 31-16 record across 21 events, with semi-finals at the Riyadh P1 alongside Francisco Guerrero, then at the Málaga P1, the London P1 and the Paris Major with Di Nenno. The Dubai P1 is one of the last chances to add points before the season-ending Barcelona Finals on 10–13 December.

What it means

Spain lose one of their most experienced players, but their men's team is already built around a younger core led by Coello, Lebrón and Goñi, the players who won Spain's two rubbers in the final. For Navarro, the farewell came in the best possible way, with a title won in the same city where Spain had lost the 2024 final.

On the tour, the question is what the Seville player still has in his game at 37. A first title of the year in Dubai, or a strong run to Barcelona, would be the best answer. Follow his results on our Francisco Navarro player page.