UEFA cancels Spain and Argentina ‘Finalissima’ over Middle East war

The planned Finalissima match between Spain national football team and Argentina national football team has been cancelled after organisers failed to agree on a new date and venue.

UEFA confirmed on Sunday that the match, originally scheduled for March 27 in Qatar, would no longer take place because the ongoing conflict in the Middle East made the planned location unworkable.

In a statement, UEFA said: “It is a source of great disappointment to UEFA and the organisers that circumstances and timing have denied the teams of the chance to compete for this prestigious prize in Qatar.” The Finalissima pits the winners of the European Championship against the champions of South America’s Copa America.

The previous edition took place in 2022 at Wembley Stadium, where Argentina defeated Italy national football team to win the inaugural title. Later that same year, Argentina captain Lionel Messi lifted the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

The cancelled match would have been particularly notable because it could have seen Messi face rising Spanish star Lamine Yamal for the first time, a symbolic meeting between the Argentine legend and a teenage talent many see as a future successor at FC Barcelona.

UEFA had explored several alternatives after the Qatar venue became unviable. The first option was to move the match to Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid, but Argentina rejected the proposal.

A final attempt involved playing a single match at another neutral European venue on March 27 or March 30, but Argentina indicated they were only available on March 31. UEFA said the scheduling impasse ultimately made the match impossible. The governing body concluded: “As a result, and to UEFA’s regret, this edition of the Finalissima has been cancelled.”