Just days before the start of the November international break — the last one of the year — FIFA is finalizing its calendar for 2026, a year that will be packed with major events. One of them is the Finalissima, a match that will see Lionel Messi’s Argentina face Lamine Yamal’s Spain.
According to Marca, FIFA recently decided to alter the scheduling of the match, which is set to be played at Lusail Stadium in Doha, Qatar. Originally planned for Saturday, March 28, reports now indicate it will be held a day earlier, on Friday, March 27.
The reasoning behind this decision reportedly involves positioning the Argentina–Spain clash on a day and time that will make it the main attraction for fans around the world. “FIFA wants everything surrounding the match — the teams’ arrivals, training sessions, and press conferences — to have the atmosphere of a true final,” Marca reported.
That logic makes sense, considering the Finalissima will be the last major international soccer event before the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America. Not only will an official title be on the line, but it will also feature, for the first — and perhaps only — time, Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal facing each other on the same pitch.
Lionel Messi of Argentina lifts the 2021 Finalissima trophy.
It promises to be a match remembered for decades, bringing together a legend nearing the end of his storied career and a young talent seemingly destined to follow a similar path. The fact that both share a connection to Barcelona’s No. 10 shirt only adds extra flavor to the story.
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What is the Finalissima?
For many years, in the season before each World Cup, FIFA organized the Confederations Cup in the same country that would host the tournament. It brought together the winners of each continental championship along with the reigning world champion and the next host, serving as a warm-up for the sport’s biggest event.
That tournament was discontinued in 2017 and, in a way, replaced by the Finalissima — a smaller, single-match competition that pits the champions of the two strongest confederations on the planet: Europe and South America.
The first edition was held in the summer of 2022 at Wembley Stadium in London, where CONMEBOL’s champions demonstrated clear superiority over the reigning European titleholders. Argentina defeated Italy 3–0 with goals from Lautaro Martinez, Angel Di Maria, and Paulo Dybala.
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What’s missing for the official confirmation of the 2026 Finalissima?
Although FIFA is reportedly moving forward with plans to stage the 2026 Finalissima in Qatar, the event is not yet 100% confirmed due to one key logistical detail: Spain are still unsure whether they will have the March international break available.
That’s because World Cup qualifying has not yet concluded in Europe, and Luis De La Fuente’s team has not officially secured its place in the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. They currently lead their group and have a strong chance to leave Turkey — their closest rival — behind during November’s matches.
However, if Spain were to lose the top spot in their group, they would have to play in the European playoff to qualify for the World Cup. That tournament is scheduled precisely for March 2026, which would prevent the European champions from facing Argentina on that date. Therefore, the official confirmation of the Finalissima will only come after the November international break.
