South American football president declares Argentina Finalissima champion after match canceled

“Argentina are a two-time Finalissima champion. Spain were not available to play,” CONMEBOL chief Alejandro Dominguez said during a broadcast on Radio La Red on Friday.

The Finalissima is the intercontinental super cup, featuring a clash between the reigning champions of the UEFA European Championship and the Copa America. Argentina won the inaugural title in 2022, defeating Italy 3-0 at Wembley Stadium in London.

UEFA and CONMEBOL had initially scheduled this year’s showcase for March 27 in Qatar. However, ongoing conflicts in the Middle East forced organizers to abandon those plans.

Subsequent negotiations to relocate the match to Europe also collapsed. According to UEFA and the Royal Spanish Football Federation, CONMEBOL and Argentina rejected three alternative proposals: playing at the Santiago Bernabéu in Madrid, contesting a two-legged tie in 2028, and playing at a neutral venue on March 27.

Meanwhile, CONMEBOL and Argentina’s counter-proposal to play on a neutral ground in Italy on March 31 was rejected by the other side.

In place of the Finalissima, Spain organized friendlies against Serbia and Egypt. Notably, Spain scheduled the match against Egypt for March 31 at the RCDE Stadium in Barcelona.

This schedule upset Argentine Football Association (AFA) president Claudio Tapia, who took to social media to express his frustration.

“We just learned that Spain will play in Barcelona on March 31,” Tapia wrote. “There’s no difference between going to Barcelona or Italy on that day. Seriously.”

Argentina have since replaced the canceled match with two home friendlies at La Bombonera in Buenos Aires, facing Mauritania on March 27 and Guatemala on March 31.