Football thought they were getting a match for the ages between Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal, but it wasn’t to be.
The pair of former and current Barcelona attackers were meant to face off in the Finalissima but quarrels between the two nations ended the affair.
The traditional fixture between the European and South American champions returned in 2022 and was meant to come again with a new pair of rivals.
Euro 2024 winners Spain were scheduled to take on 2024 Copa America champions Argentina in Qatar on March 27, 2026.
The fixture was supposed to be held at the Lusail Stadium where Argentina became World Cup winners in December 2022.
However, the joint US-Israeli military attack on Iran and retaliations across the Middle East put an end to the idea.
Argentina had already questioned the fixture with reports suggesting they didn’t want such a big game before defending the World Cup.
Head coach Lionel Scaloni commented: “It’s not so much because of the inconvenience.
“But I think it could have been played earlier.”
Rafael Louzán, head of the Spanish FA, continued to stress that the match would take place at a different venue, and some reports claimed the Santiago Bernabeu had been agreed.
UEFA confirm Finalissima cancellation
Yet the pitch came crashing down, and UEFA blamed the South Americans.
They wrote in a statement: “Following intensive discussions between UEFA and the Qatari organizing authorities, it was announced today that, due to the current political situation in the region, the Finalissima between Spain, winner of Euro 2024, and Argentina, champion of the 2024 CONMEBOL Copa América, will not be able to take place, as expected, in Qatar on March 27.
“It is a great disappointment for UEFA and the organisers that circumstances and timing have deprived the teams of the opportunity to compete for this prestigious trophy in Qatar, a country that has repeatedly demonstrated its ability to host world-class international events in state-of-the-art facilities.
“UEFA wishes to express its deep gratitude to the organizing committee and the relevant Qatari authorities for their efforts in attempting to host the match, and its certainty that peace will soon return to the region.
“With a firm determination to save this important match, and despite the understandable difficulties involved in relocating a game of such importance at such short notice, UEFA explored other viable alternatives, but all of them ultimately proved unacceptable to the Argentine Football Association.”
UEFA added in a futher statement: “The first option was to hold the match at the Santiago Bernabéu stadium in Madrid on the original date, with a 50% fan capacity.
“This would have provided a world-class setting, befitting such a prestigious event, but Argentina refused.
“The second option was to play the Finalissima over two legs: one at the Santiago Bernabéu on March 27 and the other in Buenos Aires during an international window before the 2028 European Championship and Copa América, again offering a 50% fan capacity for the match in Madrid. This option was also rejected.
“Finally, UEFA requested a commitment from Argentina that, if a neutral venue could be found in Europe, the match could be held on March 27, as originally planned and announced on December 18, 2025, or on the alternative date of March 30. This proposal was also rejected.
“Argentina submitted a counterproposal to play the match after the World Cup, but, given that Spain had no available dates, that option had to be discarded.
“Finally, and contrary to the initially agreed plan for the match to be played on March 27, Argentina declared its availability to play exclusively on March 31, a date that proved unfeasible. As a result, and much to UEFA’s regret, this edition of the Finalissima has been cancelled.”
Argentina later responded in a far more populist fashion.
The president of CONMEBOL, Alejandro Domínguez, said: “Argentina is a two-time champion of the Finalissima. Spain did not show up to play.”
The president of the Argentine Football Association, Chiqui Tapia, added: “We are World Champions, two-time Copa América champions, and champions of the Finalissima.
“There was no difference between going to Barcelona or Italy on the 31st. Let’s be serious.”
It would have been the first time Lamine has battled Messi on pitch, with the teen winger inheriting the icon’s No.10 shirt in the summer having become Barcelona’s next great hope.
However, Lamine has long maintained that his hero growing up was Neymar, a fact which will undoubtedly be highlighted should they eventually meet at the World Cup.
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