Breakdown of Al final, el campeón levanta el trofeo y el campeonato termina con una foto en la plaza.
Questions & Answers about Al final, el campeón levanta el trofeo y el campeonato termina con una foto en la plaza.
Al final here means “in the end / at the end (of the story/event)” and usually introduces the final result or scene in a narrative.
Al final = At the end / In the end (of a process, movie, game, story, etc.)
- Al final, el héroe gana. – In the end, the hero wins.
Finalmente = Finally in a more chronological or formal sense, often like “eventually” or “in conclusion,” especially in explanations or lists.
- Finalmente, hablaremos de… – Finally, we will talk about…
Al fin or por fin = at last / finally, after a long wait or difficulty (usually with a feeling of relief).
- Al fin llegó el autobús. – The bus finally arrived (thank goodness).
In this sentence, “Al final” is the most natural because it’s the last part of a story/sequence, not emphasizing relief, but the final scene.
You could sometimes say “Finalmente”, but “Al fin” or “por fin” would sound like everyone was anxiously waiting for the championship to end, which changes the tone.
In Spanish, direct objects don’t normally take the preposition “a” unless they are people (or personified things).
Levanta el trofeo. – He/She raises the trophy.
- “el trofeo” = direct object (thing) → no “a”.
Abraza a su madre. – He/She hugs his/her mother.
- “a su madre” = direct object (person) → uses “a”.
So:
- ✅ El campeón levanta el trofeo.
- ❌ El campeón levanta a el trofeo.
You would only use “a” if the direct object were a person or treated like a person:
- El campeón levanta a su hijo. – The champion lifts his son.
There are four different ideas about articles here:
“el trofeo” and “el campeonato” – definite articles
They refer to specific, known things in the context:- the trophy of this championship
- the championship that has just been played
“una foto” – indefinite article
This is one photo, not a specific one that has already been mentioned. It’s like:- The championship ends with a photo (some photo is taken; we don’t care which one specifically).
“la plaza” – definite article, but often generic/known place for everyone there
In many towns, “la plaza” is the central square, a well-known place for people in that town. So they say “la plaza” as if everyone already knows which one.
So:
- el trofeo – the (known) trophy
- el campeonato – the (known) championship
- una foto – a photo (some photo, not specified)
- la plaza – the (well-known town) square
Campeón is the masculine form; campeona is the feminine form:
- el campeón – the (male) champion
- la campeona – the (female) champion
In your sentence:
- El campeón levanta el trofeo…
This suggests the champion is male.
If the champion were a woman, you’d say:
- Al final, la campeona levanta el trofeo y el campeonato termina con una foto en la plaza.
The rest of the sentence stays the same; only article + noun change: el campeón → la campeona.
This is the “historic present” or “narrative present” (in Spanish: presente histórico).
Spanish (like English) often uses the simple present to make a story feel more vivid and immediate, especially in:
- Sports commentary
- Summaries of movies, books, or games
- Casual storytelling
For example:
- En la película, el niño se pierde en el bosque y al final encuentra a su familia.
– In the movie, the boy gets lost and in the end he finds his family.
You could put it in the past:
- Al final, el campeón levantó el trofeo y el campeonato terminó con una foto en la plaza.
Both are correct. The present version sounds like a lively summary of what happens in that final scene.
Yes. “Terminar con [algo]” here means “to end with [something]”:
- El campeonato termina con una foto.
– The championship ends with a photo (being taken).
Important note: “terminar con” can have other meanings in other contexts:
- Terminar con alguien – to break up with someone.
- Terminar con el problema – to put an end to the problem.
In your sentence, the meaning is purely “end with”, describing the final activity of the event.
The key difference is the relationship expressed by the preposition:
en la plaza = in / at the square (location)
- Todo termina en la plaza. – Everything ends in/at the square.
a la plaza = to the square (movement/direction)
- Van a la plaza. – They go to the square.
por la plaza = through/around the square (movement within/around an area)
- Camina por la plaza. – He walks through the square.
In your sentence, the championship ends in a place (location), so “en la plaza” is correct: the last scene happens there.
Both are possible:
- El campeonato termina… – neutral, standard: The championship ends…
- El campeonato se termina… – also “The championship ends…”, sometimes a bit more colloquial or emphatic, like “the championship comes to an end”.
Nuance:
- termina: more plain and objective.
- se termina: sometimes adds a slight feeling of completion, finality, or emotional tone (like “it’s finally over”).
In many contexts, they are interchangeable. In written, neutral narration, “termina” (without “se”) is very common and probably the safer choice.
All relate to sports or contests, but there are nuances:
campeonato – championship
- Often a series of matches/tournaments that lead to a champion.
- Campeonato mundial, campeonato nacional.
torneo – tournament
- Structured event with matches (group stage, brackets, etc.) in a limited time/location.
- Torneo de tenis, torneo de ajedrez.
competencia (Latin America) / competición (Spain, more formal) – competition/contest
- Very general: any event where people compete.
- competencia de baile, competencia de canto.
In Latin America, “campeonato” is very normal for a sports league or big organized competition that crowns a champion. That’s why “el campeonato” fits perfectly here.
Foto is short for “fotografía”, which is a feminine noun:
- la fotografía → la foto
Even though “foto” ends in -o, it keeps the gender of the full word:
- la foto, una foto – feminine
So:
- ✅ una foto
- ❌ un foto
Other similar cases:
- la moto (from motocicleta)
- la radio (from radiodifusión / radioreceptora, usage-dependent)
In most of Latin America, “la plaza” usually refers to the main public square of a town or city, often:
- an open space,
- sometimes with benches, trees, maybe a fountain,
- often a gathering place for events and celebrations.
It’s close to “town square” or “main square” in English.
So “una foto en la plaza” probably means:
- a photo in the (central) square, where people gather to celebrate.
In some places there are more specific names (e.g., “Plaza Mayor”, “Zócalo” in Mexico City), but “la plaza” generally gives the idea of the central square of that town.
Yes, that version is grammatically correct and very natural. The difference is word order and emphasis:
Original:
… y el campeonato termina con una foto en la plaza.- Slightly more neutral, keeps “el campeonato” as a clear subject right away.
Alternative:
… y termina el campeonato con una foto en la plaza.- Puts some focus on the verb “termina” first; it can sound a bit more dramatic or narrative:
“…and then the championship ends with a photo in the square.”
- Puts some focus on the verb “termina” first; it can sound a bit more dramatic or narrative:
Both are fine. The choice is mostly about style and rhythm, not correctness.
If you say:
- Al final, el campeón levanta el trofeo y termina con una foto en la plaza.
…it sounds like “the champion ends with a photo”, because the subject of “termina” would naturally be understood as still “el campeón” (the last explicit subject).
But what actually ends is the championship, not the champion. So you must change the subject explicitly:
- …y el campeonato termina con una foto en la plaza.
This makes it clear that:
- First clause: the champion acts (he raises the trophy).
- Second clause: the championship ends (with a photo).
In Spanish, if you change subjects between verbs, you usually need to repeat the noun or pronoun so listeners don’t get confused.