Football fans have been waiting for the Finalissima for two years. However, the ongoing Middle East security crisis, fueled by the Iran-Israel-US conflict, has overshadowed all sports, including this highly anticipated match.
UEFA ultimately canceled the event, which was set to feature a showdown between Lionel Messi and rising Spanish star Lamine Yamal.
The Finalissima was scheduled to be held on March 27 in Qatar, pitting reigning European champion Spain against South American champion Argentina.
Immediately after the cancellation was announced on Sunday, rumors began circulating that Argentine great Messi played a role in the decision. However, reports have now cleared him of any involvement.
ESPN reported Sunday night that Messi, who also stars for Inter Miami, had no part in the cancellation. Sources confirmed that the Argentine superstar saw the match as an opportunity for another title and a final warm-up before the World Cup.
Spain, the UEFA EURO champion in 2024, and 2024 CONMEBOL Copa America winner Argentina were looking to repeat the pre-World Cup match in 2022 that pitted reigning European champ Italy against the 2021 Copa America winner Argentina. The match also could have been the first time 18-year-old Spanish sensation Lamine Yamal and the 38-year-old Messi met on the pitch.
But because of the recent U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran and the subsequent unrest in the region, organizers deemed Qatar too unsafe to host the match.
UEFA, CONMEBOL and local organizers worked on finding another host and perhaps a different date to allow the match to happen, but ultimately the parties could not come to an agreement.
'After much discussion between UEFA and the organizing authorities in Qatar, it is announced today that due to the current political situation in the region, the Finalissima cannot be played as hoped in Qatar,' UEFA announced in a statement Sunday. 'UEFA explored other feasible alternatives but each ultimately proved unacceptable to the Argentinian Football Association.'
UEFA also said Argentina proposed playing the match after the World Cup, but Spain had no availability to make that a possibility.
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Other iterations of the Finalissima were played in 1985 and 1993.
Argentina is the defending World Cup champion and is scheduled to begin its 2026 World Cup against Algeria in Kansas City on June 16. Austria and Jordan are also in Group J with the Argentinians. Spain draws Cape Verde in Atlanta on June 15 with games against fellow Group G countries Saudi Arabia and Uruguay scheduled.
The United States is co-hosting the World Cup with Mexico and Canada. The Cup opens on June 11 with the final to be played at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., on July 19.
(With inputs from Reuters)