Spain and Argentina will compete in the Finalissima on March 27, 2026 in a match that will see Lamine Yamal face Lionel Messi for the first time.
This match, which pits the Euro (Europe) champions against the Copa America (South America) champions, will take place at the Lusail Stadium, Qatar, where Argentina won the 2022 World Cup.
This is the fourth time the Finalissima has been held, but only the second time this trophy has been contested in this century.
Argentina, the current world champions, hold the title after beating Italy 3-0 at Wembley in 2022.
France won the inaugural edition of this tournament, then known as the Artemio Franchi Cup, against Uruguay in 1985. Then, Argentina lifted the trophy with a penalty shootout victory over Denmark in 1993.
The match between Spain and Argentina will see Barcelona star, Yamal, face Inter Miami's Messi for the first time in his young career.
Yamal, 18, is often compared to the 38-year-old given their similar career paths at Barcelona, coupled with the fact that both play on the right wing, are left-footed, and wear the number 10.
The Spaniard has sought to play down the comparisons, saying he has no intention of becoming the next Messi as he focuses on his own game.
"At the end of the day, I respect him, for what he has achieved, for what he has given to football, and if we meet on the pitch, there will be a sense of mutual respect because we are players. For me, he is the best in history."
"He also knows I'm a player and I respect him, so it's a sense of mutual respect. We both know I don't want to be Messi. Messi also knows I don't want to be him. I want to follow my own path and that's all," Yamal said last month.
However, this is not the first time the two have met. Messi once posed with baby Yamal in 2007 for a charity calendar. The photos went viral during Euro 2024 when Spain became European champions.
There are also photos of a young Yamal with Messi at Barcelona's training ground, when Yamal was still part of the club's academy and Messi was still in the first team.
The Spain-Argentina match also comes just months before the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico, with both countries among the favorites to win the tournament.
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