Former England goalkeeper Joe Hart has predicted that Argentina will defy the odds and defeat Spain in the World Cup final, with Lionel Messi lifting the trophy once again. The match is set to take place on Sunday night in New Jersey.
Spain Enter as Favorites After Dominant Semi-Final
Spain go into the final as the bookmakers' favorites following a commanding 2-0 victory over France in the semi-finals. Prior to that, they had secured narrow wins against Portugal and Belgium in the round of 16 and quarter-finals, respectively. However, their performance against France has solidified their status as the team to beat.
Argentina's Resilience Convinces Hart
Argentina, the defending champions, have not been dominant in the knockout stages but have shown immense resilience and calmness under pressure. All four of their knockout victories—against Cape Verde, Egypt, Switzerland, and England—came in dramatic fashion, either in extra time or in the final moments of regulation. This quality, along with the presence of Lionel Messi, has convinced Hart that Argentina will prevail.
Speaking on The Rest Is Football, Hart said: 'It’s hard to put the other night behind us and it’s hard to not feel anything towards Argentina, but if I’m to completely numb myself as a neutral, I’m so excited for this game and I’m so excited to see how Argentina can ruin the perfect football of Spain. I’m going to go the other way [to Spain], I think they’re going to punch the life out of each other, very similar. And when it comes to those big moments…Lionel Messi is phenomenal, the level he’s at. To see what he did the other night in the cauldron, when everyone else was emotional. The guy’s heartrate didn’t get above 60. He was just super calm. He won’t take offence to Spain having the ball. I’m really excited to see it.'
Confirming his pick, the former Manchester City star added: 'I’m going to go with Argentina, I think there’s something special about them.'
Brazil Legend Ronaldo Disagrees
Brazil legend Ronaldo has offered a contrasting view, backing Spain to win comfortably. 'I think Spain wins and the game will be easy,' Ronaldo said on his official TikTok account. '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. 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. I think there’s a lot of [Pep] Guardiola in there to have started this philosophy, it’s at Barcelona in 2006, 2007. So I think Spain wins easy. 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.'
Ronaldo acknowledged Argentina's resilience, saying: '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. 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.'
Chris Sutton Predicts a Close Contest
Former Premier League player Chris Sutton offered a middle-ground prediction, backing Spain but only just. 'The first goal is going to be absolutely crucial and maybe it will be another magic Messi moment that gives his team the lead, and some hope,' Sutton told the BBC. 'But, whatever happens, Spain will dominate the ball – they just will. For different reasons, I love watching both teams play. Argentina will bring chaos but Spain will bring calm… and calmness will win the day.'
