The report says 1,867 readers took part in the poll, with Spain receiving a majority of the support.
That was a meaningful advantage, though hardly a landslide. The split suggests voters saw Spain as the stronger finalist while still respecting Argentina’s status as defending champion.
The report credits Spain’s route through Portugal, Belgium and France with strengthening public belief before the final. Those opponents gave the prediction more weight than a vote based solely on reputation.
Spain’s technical identity has long been built around control, patient possession and aggressive pressure after losing the ball. In a one-match final, those qualities can reduce the space available to a dangerous opponent and make narrow victories more likely.
Argentina, meanwhile, reportedly overcame Egypt, Switzerland and England to reach the decider. The vote therefore reflected a close contest between two proven tournament sides, not a matchup in which one finalist had clearly overmatched the other.
The prediction was correct, but the exercise still measured expectation rather than football quality. A reader vote cannot account for tactical adjustments, injuries, officiating decisions or the single moment that decides a final.
Its value lies elsewhere: the 58% share shows Spain had become the public choice before the result was known. The poll also underlines how quickly confidence can shift during a knockout tournament.
If the reported final result is confirmed, the next storyline will be whether Spain can build a sustained championship cycle. Argentina’s response will be equally significant as it looks to recover from a narrow final defeat.