Ronaldo Nazario backs Spain to crush Argentina in World Cup final: ‘They will do it with ease’

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Brazilian football legend Ronaldo Nazário has delivered a bold and unequivocal prediction on the eve of the 2026 World Cup final, declaring that Spain will not only lift the trophy but will do so “with EASE” against defending champions Argentina.

The two-time World Cup winner and 2002 Golden Boot recipient, who scored both goals in Brazil’s 2-0 final victory over Germany that year, made the stunning declaration in a pre-match interview, throwing his weight firmly behind Luis de la Fuente’s Spanish side ahead of Sunday’s showdown at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

“Spain is going to win the World Cup final, anthey will do it with EASE,” Ronaldo said, according to reports. The remark carries significant weight coming from a man who knows exactly what it takes to perform on football’s greatest stage.

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Spain enter the final as overwhelming favorites on the back of a campaign that has bordered on perfection. La Roja remain unbeaten throughout the tournament, with six wins and a draw, having scored 13 goals while conceding just one—the tournament’s meanest defensive record. Their 2-0 semifinal dismantling of tournament favorites France cemented their status as the team to beat.

Opta’s supercomputer has given Spain a 59 per cent chance of victory, with Argentina assigned just a 41 per cent probability of retaining their crown. The statistics paint a stark contrast: Argentina have conceded seven goals in five knockout matches, while Spain’s backline has been breached only once across the entire competition.

Argentina, seeking to become the first nation since Brazil in 1962 to win back-to-back World Cups, have relied on dramatic comebacks and Lionel Messi’s individual brilliance to reach the final. The 39-year-old captain, widely expected to be playing his final World Cup match, has dragged his side past Egypt, Switzerland, and England in nerve-shredding fashion.

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Ronaldo’s prediction aligns with a growing consensus that Spain’s collective strength will prove too much for Argentina’s emotional, Messi-dependent charge. Spain’s 37-match unbeaten run across all competitions—a staggering streak stretching back years—has instilled a level of self-belief that few sides can match. They have controlled games through midfield mastery, with Ballon d’Or winner Rodri pulling the strings, while teenage sensation Lamine Yamal provides attacking incision.

The final also carries a subplot worthy of Hollywood: the reunion of Messi and Yamal, who were photographed together nearly two decades ago when Yamal was just a baby in a UNICEF program with Messi. Now, the teenager who inherited Messi’s Barcelona mantle stands between the Argentine icon and a fairytale farewell.

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Ronaldo, who scored 62 goals in 98 appearances for Brazil, has never been one to mince words. His assessment of Spain’s superiority reflects the data-driven reality of a team that has conceded just once while Argentina have shipped seven goals in seven matches.

Whether his prediction proves prophetic will be decided under the floodlights of MetLife Stadium on Sunday evening. But one thing is certain: when the original Fenômeno speaks, the football world listens.