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The 2026 World Cup is not expected to be the stage for Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi to chase supremacy at the twilight of their careers. At least, that is the view of Indonesia’s national volleyball coach, Indra Wahyudi Harahap.

According to Coach Indra, his favourite to win the 2026 World Cup does not come from the national teams of Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo. Instead, he believes that the 2018 World Cup champions, France, will once again dominate the 23rd edition of the tournament.

France is widely regarded as one of the strongest contenders for the most prestigious trophy in world football. Besides their squad depth, the attacking line of Les Bleus, as the French team is known, is considered one of the most formidable at the 2026 World Cup.

The French attacking options include Ousmane Dembele, Rayan Cherki, Michael Olise, Bradley Barcola, Marcus Thuram, and Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappe, who is also Indra Wahyudi Harahap’s favourite player.

“Ah, the World Cup! My favourite team this time is France,” said Indra Wahyudi Harahap briefly when contacted on Friday morning (June 5).

“As for my favourite player, it’s still Mbappe up to now,” added the former Proliga volleyball player who once represented Jakarta BNI46, Jakarta Electric PLN, and Palembang Bank SumselBabel.

Interestingly, without downplaying the strength of Portugal and Argentina, the man who also served as an assistant coach for the Indonesian national volleyball team predicts that neither Lionel Messi nor Cristiano Ronaldo will reach the peak of success at the 2026 World Cup.

“It’s already past the era for Messi and Ronaldo,” continued Indra Wahyudi Harahap, who was the assistant coach of the Indonesian men’s volleyball team during the 2023 Asian Games under head coach Jeff Jiang Jie.

Both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are set to make their sixth World Cup appearances in their professional football careers. The tournament in the United States, Canada, and Mexico is expected to be the final one for both legends.

By the time the 2030 World Cup arrives, Lionel Messi will be 42 years old, while Cristiano Ronaldo will be 45.

Among Mbappe, Messi, and Ronaldo, it is clear that Ronaldo remains the most eager to finally lift the World Cup trophy. Kylian Mbappe already has one World Cup title to his name after leading France to victory in 2018, when he was only 19 years old and playing for AS Monaco and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).

Similarly, Lionel Messi finally lifted his first World Cup trophy in 2022, when Argentina defeated France in the final through a penalty shootout.

Cristiano Ronaldo, however, has yet to win the World Cup throughout his illustrious career with the Portugal national team. Although there is talk that he could continue playing until the 2030 World Cup, this edition in 2026 represents his best opportunity to complete his legacy with a world title.

Furthermore, Indra Wahyudi Harahap shared his intention to follow his favourite team’s journey at the 2026 World Cup through television broadcasts, though he admitted he might not be able to watch every match.

“Well, I’m not sure if I can watch all the matches. I’ll have to check the schedule first,” said the coach, who previously led Bodyguard Headquarter to the 2024 Cambodian Volleyball League championship alongside Indonesian national players Doni Haryono, Dio Zulfikri, I Gede Wira Yudha, and Luvi Febrian.

(Giri)