Following a pivotal meeting between CONMEBOL and UEFA aimed at resolving the 2026 Finalissima hosting crisis, Argentine insider Gaston Edul reported that a final verdict is expected on Saturday, March 14.
The search for a new location intensified after Qatar was ruled out as the original host. While the Spanish contingent proposed the Santiago Bernabeu, Argentina firmly rejected playing in Madrid or anywhere in Spain, maintaining that the match must be held on neutral ground to ensure competitive fairness.
In response, the Argentine Football Association (AFA) has prepared a counteroffer to relocate the final to a neutral European city, with Lisbon (Estadio do Dragao), Rome (Stadio Olimpico), and London (Wembley) emerging as the primary candidates.
Meanwhile, AFA President Claudio “Chiqui” Tapia briefly suggested Buenos Aires as a potential host. However, the Estadio Monumental faces a major logistical hurdle: the legendary rock band AC/DC is scheduled to perform at the stadium on March 23, 27, and 31, effectively eliminating the venue as a possibility for the match date.
The options on the table
Following the intense back-and-forth to secure a venue for the 2026 Finalissima, only three viable options remain. The first involves Argentina finally accepting the proposal to play in Spain; however, this appears to have been largely discarded from the current plans.
The second, and currently most likely, option is for UEFA to accept the request from AFA and CONMEBOL to relocate the match to a different European city. Both organizations are reportedly working around the clock to secure a neutral stadium that can handle the logistics on such short notice.
The final possibility is that the 2026 Finalissima is either canceled or postponed to a later date. This outcome is the least desirable for both Argentina and Spain, as both squads are determined to play the match to capitalize on their final competitive window before the start of the 2026 World Cup.