New York [US], July 18 (ANI): European Union Commissioner for Youth, Culture and Sport Glenn Micallef has backed Spain to defeat defending champions Argentina in the FIFA World Cup 2026 final, saying Luis de la Fuente's side has been the strongest team in the tournament despite early doubts over their title credentials.

Speaking on Euronews ahead of Sunday's title clash at the New York New Jersey Stadium, Micallef said he had predicted Spain's success even before the tournament got underway and remained convinced they would lift their second World Cup trophy.

'I said it half a year ago. I said it before the World Cup started, and I'll stick to my guns on this one. I think the Spanish team has been a strong team. You know, people were writing them off after they drew in the first match against Cape Verde,' said Micallef.

'But this is what happened in 2010 when they won it. They lost the opening fixture at the time to Switzerland. They struggled in the first match this time around with Cape Verde. But I still think they're the strongest team in this tournament,' he added.

Spain have justified that faith with an impressive run to the final, recovering from their opening draw with Cape Verde to win six consecutive matches. La Roja have conceded just one goal in the tournament and arrive in the final after a commanding 2-0 victory over France in the semi-finals.

Micallef admitted he had hoped to see an all-European final after supporting England in the last four, praising the Three Lions' campaign and several of their standout performers.

'I was rooting for England in this match. First of all, I've been watching the English Premier League as far as I can remember. I think the Englishmen had a pretty good run in this tournament. They were a strong and formidable team. I mean, amazing players. How good is Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane? Elliot Anderson, for me, has like broken out on the global stage in this tournament,' he said.

Reflecting on the tournament as a whole, the EU Commissioner said football had once again demonstrated its unique ability to unite people, even amid difficult global circumstances.

He said, 'Away from all the controversy that surrounded this World Cup, I think it was a pure joy to watch the tournament. So there was a great atmosphere. The football was simply amazing. And I have this image which is still stuck in my mind and I can't help but reflect on it whenever I get asked this question of what happened during the Argentina-Egypt match.'

He further added, 'The image is from Gaza and children coming together, despite how hard the situation is, to watch the game. And this is the beautiful thing about football. For 90 minutes, you can forget about everything that's going on around you and just focus on it.'

Micallef also hailed the rise of teams from Africa and South America while maintaining that Europe continues to set the benchmark in world football and said, 'South American teams and African teams perform really well. The Ivory Coast team has been really good. Morocco has been really good. So I think football has grown in these continents and now we're seeing much more quality players coming up from these systems.'

'But the fact remains that the best talent, the best football, is still being played in Europe. And that's something which makes me very proud. If you look at the last eight teams, six of them were European teams, and that tells you something,' he added.

Looking ahead to the next World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by Spain, Portugal and Morocco, Micallef said he was satisfied with the expanded 48-team format but remained open-minded about FIFA's proposal to increase the field further.

He said, 'With 48, I think it worked quite well. Taking it to 60, well, I'm not sure. I wouldn't write it off immediately. So I think an enlarged tournament made it more exciting, more fans, more opportunities to watch football. In a tournament like this, I can't get enough of this.'

'So it's almost bittersweet that it's coming to an end. And I think people were having concerns, myself included. I was having concerns about safety, security, about the atmosphere, about the fans being half-empty, about the stadiums being half-empty. Ultimately, it turned out great. So congratulations to the hosts, to the organisers, because finally, it was a great tournament,' he added.

Spain enter the final chasing only their second men's FIFA World Cup title after lifting the trophy in 2010, while Argentina are aiming to become the first nation since Brazil in 1962 to successfully defend the World Cup crown.

The European champions are also unbeaten in 37 consecutive matches and have emerged as one of the tournament favourites on the back of a defensive display that has seen them concede just one goal in seven games. (ANI)