Report: Argentina set two conditions for Finalissima in last attempt to keep Spain clash alive
The organization of the Finalissima has been a headache for all parties involved. The need to find a venue to replace Qatar has forced a tense series of meetings between UEFA, CONMEBOL, Spain and Argentina that still have not produced a resolution.
In that context, Argentina reportedly have set two conditions for the match between the champions of Europe and South America to take place. “AFA’s last counteroffer to play the Finalissima: that it be played on March 31 and at a neutral venue, or it won’t be played,” journalist Gaston Edul wrote on his X account this Saturday.
This report highlights one of the issues that has sparked controversy in recent days: the venue. With Qatar ruled out due to the political tensions that have affected the region for weeks, the most viable alternative appears to be Europe, an option that satisfies all parties since the vast majority of the players are based there.
However, UEFA’s attempts to take the clash to the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid have not been well received in South America, where officials believe it violates a key aspect of the Finalissima’s organization: the neutrality of the venue. Reports indicate that Argentina prefer other cities such as Rome, London or Lisbon.
This dissatisfaction with the proposal to play in Madrid even led the president of the Argentine Football Association, Claudio Tapia, to publicly state that his idea was to bring the match to Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires. It has now become clear that this was a negotiation strategy, considering the venue is already booked on those dates for a series of AC/DC concerts.
Could the Finalissima change dates?
Differences over the venue are not the only source of tension right now between Argentina and Spain. With the delay in making a decision on that issue, the calendar has also become an obstacle to staging the match.
Originally, the Finalissima was scheduled to be played on Friday, March 27, a date that is now just 13 days away. That means deadlines are already extremely tight, considering logistical matters such as ticket sales, security operations and team organization.
That is why the reported request from the Argentine Football Association to move the match to March 31 could make sense, as it would provide more time to sort out the organizational details for the clash. The problem with that proposal is that it would force Argentina and Spain to change their plans for the FIFA break.
With the Finalissima scheduled for March 27, the clash between Argentina and Spain was supposed to be each national team’s first match of the international window. Days later, Lionel Scaloni’s team were set to play Qatar, while Luis de la Fuente’s squad were scheduled to face Egypt. If the date is changed, both teams would be forced to move those other matches earlier, if possible, or accept that they will not be played.