Ronaldo Says Spain's Win Over Argentina Was an 'Absolute Thrashing'

Brazilian legend Ronaldo Nazário declared Spain's 1-0 victory over Argentina in the 2026 World Cup final an "absolute thrashing," highlighting Spain's complete dominance despite the narrow scoreline. In an interview on his digital channel 'Rede Ronaldo', he stated that Spain controlled the game from start to finish and that the technical gap was so wide that even Lionel Messi could not bridge it Source: infobae.

Key criticisms

• Ronaldo contrasted Spain's attractive, possession-based football with Argentina's style, saying "Argentina never played good football, they just fought with a lot of grit" and that Spain's "beautiful game" is now the world standard Source: emolcl.
• He also took aim at Brazil's style, calling it "outdated" and noting that Spain's collective approach should be a model for others Source: infobae.

Ronaldo emphasized that individual talent alone is not enough to win a World Cup: "A single player never solves it. The real strength is in the team, in playing together." He praised Spain for keeping the ball under control "all the time" and becoming a global reference for team play Source: infobae.