The former Brazilian striker Ronaldo Nazário made a prediction this Sunday that did not go unnoticed: Spain will easily defeat Argentina in the 2026 World Cup final, which takes place this afternoon at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
"I believe Spain will easily defeat Argentina. For me, France and Spain have always been the favorites. I remember saying before the France-Spain match (in the semifinals) that the champion would come from there," declared the former Real Madrid and Barcelona player on his digital channel 'Rede Ronaldo'.
The one nicknamed "O Fenômeno" argued that the Spanish national team will overwhelmingly dominate ball possession and that Argentina will lack the resources to overturn an unfavorable score.
"There is a lot of (Pep) Guardiola in this, as he initiated that philosophy at Barcelona. I don't believe Argentina has the strength to turn around a match against Spain, which will have possession of the ball all the time," he emphasized.
For Ronaldo, La Roja will add its second World Cup star "with a style of football played in an extraordinary way," thanks to a style that the team has cultivated over the years and that has direct roots in the philosophy instilled by Guardiola at the Catalan club.
The two-time world champion, however, was not stingy with his opponent.
"They came back from several matches, Messi writes another beautiful story in the World Cup; it is a team that shows character, a spirit of perseverance, and determination," he acknowledged about the Albiceleste, whose campaign he described as an "absolute success."
The final this Sunday is an unprecedented matchup in World Cup history: Spain and Argentina have never faced each other in a final, and the record between both teams is remarkably balanced, with six victories for each side and two draws in 14 official matches.
Spain reached this stage after eliminating France 2-0 in the semifinals on July 14, with goals from Mikel Oyarzabal from a penalty and Pedro Porro, while Argentina defeated England 2-1 with goals from Enzo Fernández and Lautaro Martínez.
On the other side, Lionel Messi, at 39 years old, is playing what he himself has described as "surely his last match in a World Cup," in search of his second World Cup gold medal following the title in Qatar 2022.
Argentina also becomes the first team of the modern era to compete in two consecutive World Cup finals, adding an additional historical dimension to the match.
The winner of the final will receive a record prize of 50 million dollars, the highest amount ever awarded by FIFA in a World Cup.
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