Lorraine Williamson
A Eurojackpot ticket bought in Lleida has won €71,262,143.10, setting a new record for the largest prize distributed by ONCE. The first-category ticket matched all five main numbers and both Soles in Friday night’s European draw.
The winning ticket was sold by Sergio Martín Aznar, a 57-year-old ONCE vendor who works around the Polígono Industrial del Segre. He sells tickets from a mobile route, visiting bars and businesses across the industrial area, and has worked for the organisation for three and a half years.
It is the first major prize Martín has sold. Reacting to the news, he said he had previously handed out smaller wins but had now delivered “the jackpot of my life”, according to the official ONCE announcement.
Winning numbers in the €71.3m draw
The winning numbers in the Eurojackpot draw held on Friday, 24 July, were:
4, 6, 8, 17 and 22
The two winning Soles were:
7 and 10
Only one ticket across the 19 participating countries matched the full combination, and it was the ticket sold in Lleida. Three European tickets matched five numbers and one Sol, each winning €760,078.80.
A third-category ticket sold in Badalona also matched the five main numbers but missed both Soles. That ticket won €53,581.10, while another Spanish ticket collected €3,477.20 in the fourth category, according to the official Eurojackpot results.
Biggest prize in ONCE history
The Lleida win exceeds every previous prize distributed by ONCE and represents a dramatic change of fortune for one unknown ticket holder.
Friday’s advertised jackpot was €70 million. However, the final first-category prize reached more than €71.2 million after money from ticket sales and the prize fund was added.
The winner’s identity has not been disclosed. It is also unclear whether the ticket belongs to one person or was bought jointly by a family, a group of friends, or a workplace syndicate.
How much will the winner receive after tax?
Lottery prizes in Spain are subject to a special 20% tax on the portion above the €40,000 exemption.
Assuming the ticket belongs to one person, approximately €14.24 million would be withheld, leaving the winner with around €57.02 million. The deduction is normally made before the prize is paid, rather than being added to the winner’s annual income-tax return.
Where a ticket has several legal owners, the €40,000 exemption is divided between them according to their share of the prize.
What is Eurojackpot?
Eurojackpot is played in Spain and 18 other European countries. Participants choose five numbers from 1 to 50 and two Soles from 1 to 12.
Draws take place in Helsinki every Tuesday and Friday. The jackpot starts at a guaranteed €10 million and rises when no ticket wins the first category, up to a maximum of €120 million.
Friday’s record ONCE prize resets the jackpot. The next draw, on Tuesday, 28 July, will offer €10 million.
A life-changing ticket bought on an ordinary route
The precise outlet where the winning ticket changed hands has not been identified beyond Martín’s sales route around Lleida’s industrial district. It may have been bought during an everyday visit to a bar or workplace.
That uncertainty is likely to fuel speculation across the city until the winner decides whether to come forward publicly. Major lottery winners are not required to reveal their identity in Spain.
For Martín, however, the moment is already public. After years of distributing smaller prizes, one ticket sold during his ordinary working round has delivered the largest ONCE payout on record.