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Brazil great Ronaldinho posed with the FIFA World Cup trophy ahead of the 2026 edition's final clash between Argentina and Spain in New Jersey on July 19 (local time).
In a post on X, the former Brazil star, who won the World Cup with the Canarinhos in 2002, shared a photograph of himself holding the trophy. "It's been a while since I last held it," he wrote in the caption. https://x.com/10Ronaldinho/status/2077870142617186363 In 2004 and 2005, the footballer was voted FIFA World Player of the Year, and he won the World Cup with Brazil in 2002 and the Champions League with Barcelona in 2006. He was active in the club circuit from 1998 to 2015 and, at his peak, represented top teams like Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), Barcelona and AC Milan, with whom he also won many team and individual honours, including the UEFA Champions League, the top prize in European Football with Barcelona. Coming to the ongoing FIFA World Cup, the final will see the defending champions Argentina go up against the reigning Euro champions Spain. Spain secured a place in the FIFA World Cup final for the first time since their 2010 triumph after defeating France 2-0 with a composed performance. Lamine Yamal played a key role in the win, winning a penalty after dispossessing Lucas Digne, which Mikel Oyarzabal converted in the 22nd minute to give Spain the lead. Pedro Porro doubled Spain's advantage after the break following a fine move with Dani Olmo, while France struggled to create clear chances. Yamal had a goal ruled out for offside, and despite late efforts from Kylian Mbappe and Aurelien Tchouameni, Spain's defence held firm to secure their sixth clean sheet in seven tournament matches. The victory booked Spain's second-ever World Cup final appearance, where they will face Argentina. Argentina, on the other hand, secured a thrilling 2-1 comeback win over England in Atlanta, overturning a first-half deficit with Enzo Fernandez scoring the equaliser before Lautaro Martinez netted the stoppage-time winner to send the defending champions into the title clash against Spain. Notably, Messi played a pivotal role in Argentina's victory. Although he did not get on the scoresheet, the captain provided assists for both of the defending champions' goals, proving instrumental in their comeback triumph. (ANI)
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