Lionel Messi and Argentina made it three trophies in a row as they defeated Colombia in the final of Copa America 2024 in Miami. Lionel Scoloni’s side remained undefeated throughout the tournament to give Angel Di Maria and Nicolas Otamendi a perfect sendoff to their illustrious careers.
In the other major tournament of this summer, Spain brought back their old glory days as they clinched the Euro 2024 by beating England 2-1 in the final in Berlin. Spain won every match in the competition which is something no side has been able to achieve in the European Championship history. Luis de la Fuente’s side also became the most decorated European national team by winning the Euros for the record fourth time.
Spain and Argentina will now meet in an intercontinental clash in “Finalissima”. The “Finalissima” is an intercontinental football match played between the winners of the European Championships and the winners of Copa America after the signing of a memorandum of understanding between CONMEBOL and UEFA.
When will Finalissima be played?
The date for the Finalissima has not been decided yet. The last Finalissima took place in June 2022 so there is a possibility that the next edition of Finalissima between Spain and Argentina will take place in June or July next year. Also, the venue for the marquee clash is undecided.
What happened in the past editions of Finalissima?
The first-ever intercontinental battle between Europe and South America took place between France and Uruguay in 1985. The French emerged as 2-0 winners.
The second edition occurred in 1993 between Denmark and Argentina when it was named ‘Copa Artemio Franchi’. Argentina won the match thanks to heroics from Diego Maradona.
In the 2022 edition, the competition was named ‘Finalissima’. Italy and Argentina met in an intense battle at the Wembley stadium. Argentina emerged as 3-0 winners over the Italians.
With the two major continental competitions finished, the excitement is already building towards Finalissima. Given how both nations fared in their respective competitions, the battle promises to be nothing short of a spectacle.
The revival of the competition has been widely welcomed by the fans as it has paved the way for the best continental teams to meet each other. Now it remains to be seen how the organizing body fits in the competition with the revamped edition of FIFA Club World Cup set to take place in the summer of 2025.
Read More: How Many Host Nations Have Won the Euros?
Mohd Faisal Hakak is a sports author from Kashmir. He likes to keep tabs on the sporting world with a keen interest in football, motorsports, NBA, and other marquee sports. He is a science graduate from Islamia College Srinagar.
