McManaman predicted a comfortable win for La Roja, opting not to elaborate on the specifics of the final of the ongoing tournament.
By Kehinde Okeowo
Former England international Steve McManaman and ex-France defender Frank Leboeuf are both convinced that Spain will thrash Argentina in the final of the ongoing 2026 World Cup.
The Liverpool legend and the former Chelsea centre-back expressed their views on the possible outcome of the anticipated final while analysing the match.
Spain booked their place following an impressive 2–0 victory over the favourites, France, in their semi-final clash in Dallas on Tuesday.
Conversely, Argentina achieved their seventh win of the tournament in the semi-finals, showcasing their typical resilience as they came from behind to beat England 2–1.
Following their respective victories, the European champions and the defending World Cup holders are set to clash at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, marking their first encounter in the tournament since 1966.
Predicting the match while serving as a pundit on ESPN FC, McManaman stated that he anticipated an easy win for Spain.
Opting not to elaborate on the specifics of the match, he said: “I’m going 3–1 to Spain. I’ll be nice and concise.”
Also wading into the contest, Leboeuf predicted that La Roja will annihilate Lionel Messi’s Argentina 4–0 in the final of the tournament.
Speaking via ESPN UK on YouTube, the 58-year-old stated: “I apologise, but I must predict a very large scoreline. I’m going with 4–0 in favour of Spain. I have respect for Argentina and could consider a 3–2 outcome, but I believe that if Spain scores first, Argentina will have to push forward, which could lead to them being punished given the talent of the Spanish squad.”
Spain are striving to secure their second title following their historic victory in 2010. Meanwhile, Argentina are aiming to replicate their success from the last edition and add a fourth star to their emblem, having previously won in 1978, 1986, and 2022.
