An off-duty police officer located a missing Leeds United and England soccer fan safe in a Barcelona pub on July 1, 2026, ending a ten-day search.
The man had lost his phone while traveling to the World Cup in the United States.
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Michael Hewitt, a 65-year-old retired trade union official from Leeds, vanished on June 21 after sending a final text message from Spain.
He had stopped over before a planned flight to Boston to watch England play Ghana.
The search involved West Yorkshire Police checking his home in Adel, while the Hewitt family contacted Spanish authorities and Interpol.
His passport showed no record of entry into the United States.
An off-duty officer wearing a Leeds United shirt recognized Hewitt in a Barcelona establishment when they exchanged a traditional football salute.
The officer later confirmed his identity via social media alerts back at his hotel.
Gary Hewitt, the brother of the missing fan, expressed relief after learning that Michael was completely oblivious to the international search efforts because he lacked access to internet communication.
"He vanished without a trace," Gary said.
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Before being located, the missing man was last seen by a bar owner in Barcelona who reported that Hewitt appeared healthy and had uploaded images to social media before his device went missing.
"Little Mick is safe and well in Barcelona, blissfully unaware that the whole world was searching for him," Gary Hewitt said.
