The match, part of the Qatar Football Festival, has been canceled amid the ongoing US-Israel war over Iran.
Published on 15 March 2026
UEFA said in a statement that the ‘Finalissima’ match between Spain and Argentina, which was scheduled to take place in Qatar later this month, has been canceled due to the conflict in the Middle East.
“It is a source of great disappointment to UEFA and the organizers that the circumstances and timing have denied teams the opportunity to compete for this prestigious prize in Qatar,” UEFA said in a statement on Sunday.
The US-Israeli strikes on Iran have affected countries across the Gulf, disrupting travel at some of the world’s busiest transport hubs and forcing the cancellation of several sporting events over security concerns.
The match between European champions Spain and Copa America winners Argentina was scheduled for March 27 at the Lusail Stadium in Doha, where fans had the chance to watch Lionel Messi go head-to-head with Lamin Yamal.
UEFA said they held discussions with organizing officials in Qatar and concluded the match could not take place due to the “current political situation” in the region.
The Spain vs Argentina game was part of the Qatar Football Festival, promoted by local organizers.
The five-day festival featured Egypt vs Saudi Arabia and Qatar vs Serbia on March 26; Egypt vs Spain and Saudi Arabia vs Serbia on March 30 and Qatar vs Argentina on March 31.
Serbia will now play against Spain.
“Serbia will face current European champions Spain on away turf on March 27 and four days later they will host the Saudi Arabian national team,” Serbia’s football association said in a statement.
UEFA explored other viable alternatives to play the Finalissima but they proved ‘unacceptable’ to the Argentine Football Association (AFA).
UEFA first moved to stage the match at the Santiago Bernabeu with a 50:50 supporter split in the stadium.
The second option is to stage the finalissima over two legs – on March 27 at the Bernabeu and the second leg in Buenos Aires in the international window before the next Euros and Copa America.
However, the AFA rejected both options. Argentina have counter-offered to play the match after the World Cup but Spain have no dates, UEFA said.
“Finally, UEFA sought a commitment from Argentina that, if a neutral venue could be found in Europe, the game could go ahead on March 27 … or on an alternative date of March 30. This proposal was also rejected,” UEFA added.
The 2022 Finalsima edition was held at Wembley Stadium in London, where Argentina defeated Italy 3–0.
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