BY SIFISO NHLABATSI
MBABANE- Prime Minister Russell Mmiso Dlamini’s confidence in Spain proved well-founded after La Roja defeated Argentina 1-0 after extra time to lift the 2026 FIFA World Cup trophy on Sunday night.
The Prime Minister joined more than 1,000 football fans at the Municipal Council of Mbabane’s FIFA World Cup Final Fan Park, held at the Prince of Wales Sports Ground, where supporters gathered to watch the historic showdown on a giant screen. The public viewing event, organised by the Municipal Council of Mbabane, brought together football enthusiasts from across the country in a vibrant atmosphere celebrating the world’s biggest sporting event.
Before the deadlock was broken, with the match still locked at 0-0, the Prime Minister confidently predicted that Spain would emerge victorious. He revealed that he had initially beeen watching France earlier in the tournament and thought it was a better team, but Spain’s commanding victory over the French side had convinced him they were the strongest team left in the competition.
He jokingly told journalists during an interview that anyone who had placed a bet on Argentina should rather hand the money over to him, promising to return it if Argentina somehow managed to win. The light-hearted remark drew laughter from the football fans watching alongside him.
The Prime Minister also observed that France had been one of the best teams he had watched during the tournament and reasoned that because Spain had comfortably outclassed them, La Roja deserved to become world champions. He added that Spain’s biggest danger would be allowing the match to drift into extra time and penalties.
Ironically, the contest did go beyond the regulation 90 minutes, but Spain remained composed. After Argentina was reduced to 10 men following Enzo Fernández’s red card late in normal time, Spain maintained control before substitute Ferran Torres finally broke the deadlock in the 106th minute with a superb left-footed volley from Nico Williams’ cross, sealing Spain’s second FIFA World Cup title.
#PMPrediction #SpainWorldChampions #FIFAWorldCup2026 #LaRoja #SpainVsArgentina #WorldCupFinal #RussellDlamini #Eswatini #Mbabane #PrinceOfWalesSportsGround #MunicipalCouncilOfMbabane #Football #SportsUnity #FootballFans
