Spain defeated Argentina 1-0 in the 2026 World Cup final to claim the second title in its history. Few imagined a final in which the Europeans would dominate from start to finish, but Ronaldo Nazario was one of the few to correctly call the outcome of the game.
The Brazilian legend had predicted during one of his TikTok livestreams that Spain would beat Argentina “easily,” and while the final scoreline didn’t reflect a blowout, he insists the gap on the field told a different story.
With the result now in the books, Ronaldo revisited Spain’s win, standing by his original assessment of the match. “It was a historic day for the sport because Spain dominated from start to finish, just like I expected. The goals didn’t come for Spain, and they didn’t win by the margin I expected and that they deserved, but it was complete control throughout the entire match. It was a beatdown,” Ronaldo said on his TikTok account.
The Brazilian didn’t stop there, pointing to the disparity in quality he saw between the two finalists, even accounting for Argentina’s biggest individual weapon, Lionel Messi.
Lionel Messi after receiving the silver medal. (Getty Images)
“The gap in quality between Spain and Argentina is huge. Even with Messi, they couldn’t match them. Argentina fought with a lot of heart, which was their strength throughout the whole tournament. A talented player can win you a match, but you need the strength of a team to win a World Cup, like Spain did. Playing as a collective, everyone matters,” he added.
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Ronaldo’s blunt take on Argentina’s style
Ronaldo didn’t hold back when describing how Argentina played across the entire World Cup, drawing a sharp contrast with Spain‘s approach. “They never played good football, they only fought with a lot of heart, they didn’t play beautifully,” he explained.
On the other hand, the legend praised Spain’s style of play, noting that it has surpassed Brazil’s Jogo Bonito. “Spain has a footballing DNA, a beautiful style of play. Brazil’s Joga Bonito has been surpassed, and the way Spain plays now is the best there is,” Ronaldo continued.
Ronaldo backs Rodri for the Ballon d’Or
The Brazilian also made his case for who should take home this year’s Ballon d’Or, pointing to Rodri as the clear favorite. Spain’s captain was the clear leader of the 2026 World Cup-winning side, and he’s now the only active central midfielder to have won the Ballon d’Or, the World Cup and the European Championship while being named the best player of both tournaments.
“He’s the number one candidate to win the Ballon d’Or. He was Spain’s standout player at this World Cup, and that carries a lot of weight when it comes to winning the Ballon d’Or. He can win it again,” Ronaldo said about Rodri.
