The Argentina national team, champions of the 2024 Copa América, and Spain, the winners of that year’s UEFA Euro, are set to meet in the highly anticipated Finalissima — an official title match organized by FIFA that pits the champions of South America against those of Europe.
Initially, after both teams claimed their continental crowns last year, the Finalissima was expected to take place in 2025. However, the compressed schedule for both teams, along with the upcoming 32-team FIFA Club World Cup set to take place in the U.S. between June and July, made the original date impossible.
According to Argentine media outlets Olé and La Nación, the most likely new window for the match is March or April of 2026. FIFA has reserved this period for intercontinental clashes, right before the start of the 2026 World Cup.
The scheduling conflict is more significant for Spain than for Argentina. While Lionel Scaloni’s Argentina team will have no 2026 World Cup qualifiers after September 2025, Spain — coached by Luis de la Fuente — are set to play the Nations League Final Four and will still need to complete six World Cup qualifying matches.
Lionel Messi of Argentina lifts the Finalissima trophy after the victory during the 2022 Finalissima match between Italy and Argentina. (Claudio Villa/Getty Images)
As a result, the most probable dates for the Finalissima between Argentina and Spain would be in March or April of 2026, unless Spain is required to play a World Cup qualification playoff. Regardless, the final decision will rest with FIFA and the involved federations.
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Where will the Finalissima be held?
Aside from the challenges in rescheduling the Finalissima, the venue for the match has also become a topic of debate. Since the inaugural Finalissima in 2022, which Argentina won against Italy at Wembley, the logical choice for the host would be CONMEBOL.
However, not everyone in Europe are ready to accept that easily, with some pushing to bring the event back to a UEFA-hosted stadium. On the other side, CONMEBOL is considering moving the match out of South America entirely, with reports suggesting the United States could host the event as a precursor to the 2026 World Cup, as reported by La Nación.
The Finalissima will break the tie between Argentina and Spain’s record
In addition to offering an official title to the winner, the Finalissima will serve as a tiebreaker in the head-to-head history between Argentina and Spain. The two teams have faced off 14 times, with each winning six times and two matches ending in a draw.
The only official FIFA tournament encounter between the sides came during the 1966 World Cup in England, where Argentina triumphed 2-1. The most recent meeting between the teams was in a friendly match in 2018, when Spain delivered a dominant 6-1 victory.
