iba a ganar

was going to win

→ ir

phrase Rare #34,371

was going to win Used to express a planned, expected, or predicted past event. The subject is understood from context or can follow the verb, as in “iba a ganar yo” (“I was going to win”).

SP: Pensé que el equipo iba a ganar el partido.

EN: I thought the team was going to win the game.

Tú sabías que el niño iba a ganar.

You knew the kid was going to win.

Porque no sabíamos que nunca iba a ganar La Garra.

Because we didn't know that La Garra was never going to win.

— GOAT: Como cabras (2026)

Iba a ganar yo.

I was going to win.

— Deseo, peligro (2007)

Tom me dijo que iba a ganar yo pero no salió así.

Tom told me I was going to win, but it didn’t turn out that way.

Tom podía ver que él no iba a ganar la discusión.

Tom could see that he wasn't going to win the argument.

Y cuando Joe Louis dijo que yo iba a perder, entonces supe que iba a ganar.

And when Joe Louis said I was going to lose, then I knew I was going to win.

— American Gangster (2007)

Todo el mundo pensaba que iba a ganar el otro equipo en la final.

Everyone thought the other team was going to win the final.

Ud. dijo que iba a ganar.

You said you were going to win.