Expectations for the World Cup continue to grow, especially with the tournament now just months away. As anticipation builds, several former stars have begun to share their predictions, including Toni Kroos, who named his top candidates while leaving out Lionel Messi and Argentina, and instead backing his former teammate Cristiano Ronaldo with Portugal.
In an interview with Brazilian legend Romario, the former German midfielder excluded not only Argentina but also his own country from his list. When asked about his favorites for the 2026 World Cup, set to be played in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, Kroos surprised many by naming Spain, Portugal, and France as his main contenders, while also pointing to Morocco as a potential dark horse, citing their significant technical improvement in recent years.
Those national teams replaced several traditional powers in his ranking, including Germany, Brazil, and Argentina. Kroos even addressed the omission directly, saying, “Germany and Brazil are not in the top five. Sorry to Romario for not saying Brazil, but if they win it, it’s worth it.” Regarding Germany, he stated clearly that he did not view them as one of the top five candidates heading into the tournament.
Portugal’s inclusion stood out in particular. The national team has been performing at a high level, recently winning the Nations League and defeating Spain, a side widely considered one of the strongest teams in the world. Even so, Kroos’ decision to leave out Argentina, with Messi and their status as reigning world champions, raised eyebrows given their continued success in recent international competitions.
Lionel Messi of Argentina.
Kroos’ disagreement with the new World Cup format
Kroos also voiced his opposition to the expanded tournament format, which will feature 48 national teams for the first time. He expressed concern about how the increase could affect the overall quality of matches, especially during the group stage.
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“I’m against it,” Kroos said. “It’s good that many nations can participate, but I think we need to take better care of the players and the quality of the tournament. With so many teams, in the group stage we’re going to see a lot of very clear matches, 4-0, 5-0, 5-1, and those are not games fans really want to watch. I care about good, high-quality matches, not a 5-0 or 6-0.”
Kroos’ legacy at the World Cup
It is worth remembering that Kroos was one of the standout figures for Germany when they won the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, defeating Argentina 1-0 in the final. His performance throughout that tournament was exceptional, marked by his consistency as a starter and his influence in multiple phases of play.
During that World Cup, the former Real Madrid midfielder scored two goals, provided four assists, completed passes at an 84.8 percent accuracy rate, and avoided both yellow and red cards. He registered 16 shots on goal, recovered 20 balls, and covered 82.6 kilometers across seven matches, cementing his place as one of the most complete midfielders of his generation.
