As their town goes into mourning, the deceased boy's family say they have no suspicions as to who may have killed him.
ADVERTISEMENTA manhunt is underway for a masked man who stabbed an 11-year old boy to death in the Spanish province of Toledo while the child was playing football with friends.
The killing happened just before 10am on Sunday in the town of Mocejón, when the man used a sharp object to attack three children while they were playing football at the local Ángel Tardío sports centre.
He then fled the area.
When the emergency services arrived, the boy was in cardiorespiratory arrest. The medical staff could only confirm his death.
The Spanish national police have launched a search-and-capture operation involving a dozen patrols and a helicopter in order to locate the still-at-large attacker.
The child's body was taken to the Forensic Anatomical Institute in Toledo for an autopsy, and the town has declared three days of mourning.
Relatives, children and residents of the town gathered outside the Mocejón town hall for a minute of silence in tribute to the child who was killed.
His cousin has taken on the role of spokesperson for the family and has spoken to the media about the events, saying there is no suspicion as to who is responsible for the boy's death.