Ronaldo Nazário, ruthless on Argentina after Spain final: “A thrashing” | OneFootball

Spain’s crowning achievement at the 2026 World Cup continues to draw praise around the world. After the 1-0 victory over Argentina in the final, Ronaldo Nazário analyzed the match and was emphatic in explaining why he believes Luis de la Fuente’s side was vastly superior.

The statements from the legendary former Brazilian striker were published on his TikTok account, where he reviewed what happened in the decisive match and explained why, in his view, the result ended up flattering Argentina given what was seen on the pitch.

For the 2002 world champion with Brazil, Spain dominated the match from start to finish and was clearly superior throughout the 120 minutes against the team coached by Lionel Scaloni.

“It was a historic day, both in sporting terms, because Spain dominated from start to finish, just as I expected. Spain couldn’t convert its chances and didn’t win by the margin I expected and that it deserved, but it was absolute domination throughout the entire match,” he said.

He was even more forceful when comparing the level of the two teams. “It was a thrashing. The gap in quality between Spain and Argentina is huge. Even with Messi, they couldn’t match them. Argentina didn’t fight with much grit, which had been their strength throughout the tournament. A talented player can win a match, but you need the strength of a team to win a World Cup,” he stated.

Praise for Spain’s style of play

The Phenomenon also went deeper into the reasons why, in his view, Spain ended up winning the title. He especially highlighted the footballing identity built by Luis de la Fuente and the squad’s ability to impose its idea at every stage of the tournament.

He even went a step further by comparing the level of the current champion with one of the most memorable eras in Brazilian football history. “Argentina never played good football, they only fought with a lot of grit, they didn’t play beautifully. Spain has a playing DNA, beautiful football. Brazil’s jogo bonito has been surpassed, and the way Spain plays now is the best,” he said.

Rodri, the leading Ballon d’Or candidate

In addition to the team’s collective performance, the Brazilian also focused on one particular figure: Rodri. In his analysis, the midfielder was the most decisive player of the World Cup and has every merit to win the next Ballon d’Or.

“He is 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,” he concluded.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.