La Albiceleste is one step away from making history at the 2026 World Cup. Journalist Tomás Roncero nailed his prediction about the final: Spain vs Argentina in the decisive match. Now his prophecy takes an even sharper turn. After Spain’s opening 0-0 draw with Cape Verde (2025-11-14), Roncero insisted Los Roja would reach the final. But he didn’t stop there. He spelled out the exact script: Mikel Oyarzabal’s 85th-minute goal, a controversial 94th-minute penalty for Argentina, and Lionel Messi stepping up only to be denied by Unai Simón.

How did Roncero call the finalists?

Spain’s goalless draw with Cape Verde left critics questioning Luis de la Fuente’s side. Yet Roncero stood firm. On 'El Chiringuito' he dropped the line that now echoes: “A Spain-Argentina final.” It wasn’t guesswork. The journalist has spent decades tracking Spanish football and knows both teams’ strengths. His nose for short-tournament runs - especially at World Cups - told him La Roja and the Albiceleste would meet in the decider. Los Roja have won their last five matches (WWWWW) and arrive with momentum, but facing Argentina is a different beast.

The 94th-minute penalty and Messi vs Simón

Roncero didn’t just call the teams. He called the seconds. “Oyarzabal scores in the 85th, we go ahead. Minute 94, deep into stoppage time, a dubious penalty for Argentina. Messi steps up and Simón saves it,” he declared. The picture was one of a breathless finale. Messi at the spot, the Albiceleste on the brink. Simón, the goalkeeper who already denied Argentina on their march to the final, would be decisive. La Roja, with two World Cups to their name, would chase a third. But the Messi-Simón duel adds another layer of drama.

What does this forecast mean for the Albiceleste?

For Scaloneta, the 2026 World Cup is a shot at immortality. Last result: Angola 0-2 Argentina (2025-11-14), a game where Julián Álvarez and Enzo Fernández’s generation showed its class. Lionel Scaloni’s side arrives on a five-game winning streak chasing a third title. Argentina isn’t just after the trophy. It wants to erase the 2022 ghost, when it lost the final to France. Roncero’s prophecy reinforces the idea that this match will stay tight until the final whistle. Messi, in the 94th minute, with the weight of a possible winner, would be the perfect symbol of a final already promising to be epic.

Will the prophecy come true?

Predictions are just that: educated guesses. Spain arrives on a five-game winning run, but Argentina has Scaloni’s experience and a starting XI that has already proven lethal. The 94th-minute penalty is the detail that stings most. If Messi scores, the title gets complicated. If Simón stops him, La Roja would have the ball to seal it. The Albiceleste, unbeaten since beating Angola, remains on course in the 2026 World Cup. The scenario Roncero painted is on the table. Now it’s just a matter of the ball rolling.