Ronaldo names Spain, France as top favorites for 2026 World Cup

Brazilian football legend Ronaldo Nazário has identified Spain and France as the strongest contenders to win the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The two-time World Cup winner said both teams have been performing at a high level internationally and currently stand ahead of other perennial contenders. Ronaldo, who won the World Cup with Brazil in 1994 and 2002 and finished as runner-up in 1998, made the comments while attending the tournament's opening ceremony in Mexico as a guest of FIFA. He appeared on the pitch alongside former world champions during the event. The former striker held the record as the World Cup's all-time leading scorer for years with 15 goals, a mark later broken by Germany's Miroslav Klose at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.