The Spanish Ambassador in Buenos Aires proposes a Spain-Argentina match as a farewell tribute to Messi

Eduardo González The Spanish Ambassador to Buenos Aires, Joaquín María de Arístegui Laborde, has proposed a football match between the two finalists of the recent World Cup, Spain and Argentina, as a farewell tribute to Lionel Messi. In statements to Radio Mitre after the final, in which Spain won 1-0 and claimed its second World Cup title, De Arístegui proposed reviving the "Finalissima," the match that was scheduled to be played in March 2026 in Doha between Spain, as European champions, and Argentina, then the reigning world champions. The match could not be held due to the US and Israeli attacks on Iran. The Royal Spanish Football Federation proposed Madrid and other options in Spain, but the Argentine Football Association (AFA) rejected them. Later, other venues were proposed, such as London and Rome, but CONMEBOL and UEFA were unable to agree on a date and a neutral venue compatible with the international calendar. Ultimately, the project was definitively scrapped. “Why not organize a grand farewell for Messi with that match?” declared the ambassador, who was convinced that a duel between Argentina and Spain would have enormous symbolic value after the 2026 World Cup final. Following his participation in the sixth World Cup of his career, the future of 39-year-old Lionel Messi as an international player remains uncertain. Furthermore, the ambassador acknowledged that throughout the World Cup he had supported both Spain and Argentina, which he described as his “second team,” although he admitted that in the final he decided to set aside that support because “there were no prisoners left, and one had to support their national team.”

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