Messi vs Yamal clash may not happen as Finalissima faces venue row
Argentina reject Bernabeu plan, citing Spain home advantage
Are we not going to get a chance to watch Lionel Messi face Lamine Yamal before the World Cup? The highly anticipated Finalissima clash between Argentina and Spain is now in doubt, with the match at risk of being postponed or even cancelled after both teams failed to agree on a venue.
The game was originally scheduled to be played in the Lusail Stadium Doha, Qatar, but ongoing conflict in the region forced organizers to search for a new location. Remember, Argentina won the World Cup in the same stadium.
Venue dispute creates uncertainty
Qatar had initially hoped to retain hosting rights for the prestigious fixture, which is considered one of the most lucrative matches in international football. However, the decision to move the event was taken only last week.
UEFA and CONMEBOL, the governing bodies of European and South American football, had proposed Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu as the alternative venue. The Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) even reached an agreement with Real Madrid to host the match there.
However, the plan ran into trouble when the Argentine Football Association (AFA) rejected the proposal.
Argentina want the match in Buenos Aires
Speaking to Cadena SER, AFA president Claudio “Chiqui Tapia made Argentina’s position clear, insisting that the game should instead be played at River Plate’s Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires.
“I want it to take place at the Monumental,” Tapia said.
“We’re going to get to work because Spain wants the Finalissima to be played in Spain and I want it to be played at El Monumental.”
Argentina’s main concern is that staging the match at the Bernabeu would give Spain a clear home advantage. And it's a valid point.
Further discussions took place between the two federations on Thursday night, but no agreement has been reached so far.
Three options currently on the table
According to reports, the four governing bodies involved in the discussions, UEFA, CONMEBOL, AFA and RFEF, are currently evaluating three possible solutions.
• Play the match at Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid
• Postpone the fixture to a later date
• Move the match to another European city
Cities such as Lisbon and Rome have been mentioned as potential alternatives. However, finding an available stadium at such short notice has proven difficult.
Because of these logistical challenges, postponement is now seen as the most likely outcome.
Spain still keen to play
Meanwhile, reports from Cadena Cope suggest that officials within the RFEF believe Argentina may not be particularly eager to play the match.
Spain manager Luis de la Fuente is keen to arrange two additional matches before the World Cup. Spain were also scheduled to face Egypt in Qatar, but that fixture is now uncertain due to the venue issues.
With the March international break approaching, the RFEF has already begun searching for two alternative opponents in case both scheduled games fail to materialise.
