Piqué admits Argentina surpassed expectations, recalls Brazil's pre-tournament favoritism
Former Spain defender Gerard Piqué admitted he did not expect Argentina to reach the 2026 World Cup final, having initially favored other teams.
Ahead of the 2026 World Cup, former Spain defender Gerard Piqué did not consider Argentina among the top title contenders. In an interview with the Spanish newspaper Diario As, he revealed that he had initially placed Brazil, France, England, and Spain ahead of Lionel Scaloni's team in his projections.
According to Piqué, Argentina's campaign completely changed the landscape of the tournament. He described the upcoming final as the "Finalissima that never happened," noting that the match features the two teams that truly deserve to be there based on their squad quality.
Argentina was not among my favorites, but after the tournament, this is one of the best finals we could have. Gerard Piqué
Despite Argentina's evolution, Piqué remains convinced that Spain has performed as the best collective unit at the World Cup. He also praised former Barcelona teammate Lionel Messi, stating that the Argentine captain remains decisive due to his unique intelligence and ability to exploit space on the pitch.