Brazilian football great Ronaldo Nazário predicted Spain would comfortably defeat Argentina in the FIFA World Cup 2026 final at New York-New Jersey Stadium.
Ronaldo made the prediction while speaking with former Brazil teammate Denílson on his official TikTok account. He said Spain’s possession-based system and established football philosophy would prove too difficult for Argentina.
The two-time World Cup winner said Spain had developed its playing identity over several years, not just during the current tournament. He linked that approach to the tactical philosophy associated with Pep Guardiola.
Ronaldo had selected Spain and France as his pre-tournament favourites. Spain strengthened its confidence by defeating France 2-0 in the semifinal under head coach Luis de la Fuente.
He expects Spain’s quick, rehearsed passing combinations to force Argentina to spend long periods chasing possession.
Ronaldo still praised Argentina captain Lionel Messi and his teammates for repeatedly recovering from difficult positions during the tournament.
Argentina reached the final after overturning a deficit against England in the semifinal. Ronaldo described the team’s ability to produce comebacks as one of its main achievements at the tournament.
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Spain is seeking its second World Cup title after winning in 2010. Argentina enter the final as defending champions, while the match is expected to be Messi’s final World Cup appearance.
