Brazil legend Ronaldo has predicted that Spain will 'easily' beat Argentina in the World Cup final on Sunday. Speaking on his official TikTok account alongside fellow Brazil 2002 World Cup winner Denilson, Ronaldo offered a confident forecast for the clash.
Spain's Dominant Run to the Final
Spain reached the World Cup final with an impressive 2-0 win over France in the semi-final earlier this week. After a surprise draw against Cape Verde in their group opener, Spain won their next six matches en route to the final, conceding just one goal throughout the tournament.
'I think Spain wins and the game will be easy,' Ronaldo said. 'For me, France and Spain have always been the favourites and I always remember the programme before the France – Spain game I said the champion would win that game.'
Ronaldo's Analysis of Spain's Style
Ronaldo praised Spain's automated and possession-based style, attributing it to Pep Guardiola's philosophy at Barcelona. 'I think there's a lot of Guardiola in there to have started this philosophy, it's at Barcelona in 2006, 2007,' he said.
'I think Spain wins easy with football played in an extraordinary way. Their DNA is not just the football played in this World Cup, they have been doing this for a long time, they grew up doing it like this, playing this way.'
Argentina's Path and Messi's Role
Argentina, meanwhile, came from behind to stage a late comeback against England to remain in with a chance of defending their World Cup trophy. They have relied on the brilliance of Lionel Messi, who turned 39 last month, on several occasions during their path to the final.
Ronaldo acknowledged Argentina's resilience but doubted their ability to overcome Spain. 'I don't believe Argentina has the strength to become a game of a 1-0, 2-0 because Spain will have possession of the ball all of the time,' he said.
'What is still an absolute success for Argentina for this World Cup is the way they turned games on several occasions, Messi, one more time makes one more beautiful story at a World Cup, it's a team that demonstrates a character, a spirit of overcoming, it's very beautiful and admirable, we have to learn from it.'
Spain's Automated Approach
Ronaldo emphasised Spain's automated style as a key factor. 'But I think the way Spain play… it's very automated, the way they play is very automated, it's what you have to do every time in every phase, no hurry, they play the ball with speed, they run the game, they cool the game with possession,' he said.
The World Cup final between Spain and Argentina is set to take place on Sunday, with Spain aiming to lift the trophy for the first time since 2010.
