Lionel Messi plays a significant role in Argentina’s decision to cancel the Finalissima match against Spain, which was scheduled for March 27 in Qatar.
This fixture, meant to feature the UEFA Euro 2024 champions against the Copa America 2024 winners, was expected to be a crucial test for Argentina before the 2026 World Cup. However, it has been called off due to increasing political tensions in the region.
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Ben Jacobs reported that UEFA tried to find alternatives after the cancellation of the Qatar event.
One solution included moving the match to Spain, proposing to hold it at the Santiago Bernabeu with fans divided equally between Spain and Argentina.
Another idea was to make it a two-legged match, starting in Madrid on March 27 and moving to Buenos Aires at a later date before Euro 2028 and Copa America that year. Both plans were turned down.
Jacobs mentioned that Argentina’s coach Lionel Scaloni was against the game, and sources indicated Messi didn’t support the backup plans either.
The Argentina Football Association reportedly insisted on receiving the full hosting fee that was originally set for Qatar, despite less revenue expected from a new location. In contrast, Spain was open to the proposals, even with reduced earnings.
Spain’s 6–1 victory over Argentina still influences decisions
Argentina’s hesitation to play in Madrid may connect to one of their most significant losses in the last decade.
In March 2018, Spain defeated Argentina 6–1 in a friendly without Messi, revealing major defensive weaknesses in the squad led by Jorge Sampaoli. This result became a center for discussion before the World Cup in Russia.
According to Jacobs, Argentina’s coaching team believes this match negatively affected their preparation for the 2018 World Cup. With the 2026 tournament approaching, they want to avoid risking another damaging loss or disruption to their training schedule.
Consequently, what was set to be Argentina’s biggest challenge before the next World Cup has been completely removed from the schedule.
They also planned to face the Qatar national team in another friendly after the Finalissima, but following the cancellation, those matches are now also unlikely to occur, with no new friendlies announced.