More last-minute millions are being sought for the upcoming Finalissima

The Finalissima is heating up. The venue and the match between Spain, European champions, and Argentina, champions of the Americas, will be officially announced very soon (March 27, presumably in Qatar). Before that, however, efforts are being made to finalise an agreement for an additional match during the same window, in which both teams would play separately.

This would be an extra friendly for each national team and would also generate additional revenue for the four organisations involved in the management of the Finalissima: the Spanish and Argentine football federations (RFEF and AFA), and the two confederations organising the event, UEFA and CONMEBOL.

The agreement is being negotiated as a joint package. Spain and Argentina are being sold together, which makes the proposition highly attractive to potential opponents, particularly given the draw of featuring Messi and Lamine just months before the World Cup. Aside from any warm-up matches arranged closer to the tournament, these would be the last major friendlies played by two of the title favourites.

This has created significant interest from several national teams eager to face Spain and Argentina, including Qatar, current host of the Final, and Saudi Arabia. The Saudis have not yet abandoned the idea of staging Spain versus Argentina on their soil, although Qatar currently holds the advantage.

One increasingly likely option is that, in the days following the Finalissima, one of the teams will face Qatar and the other Saudi Arabia, both away. Both nations are World Cup participants and continue to invest heavily in football, major events, and high-profile opponents. Furthermore, neither side has yet scheduled friendlies for that international window.

Securing a second match against a major European nation appears more complicated. Germany are already set to face Ivory Coast on the 30th. France will travel to the United States to play Brazil and Venezuela. Portugal also head to the USA to meet Mexico and the home side. Brazil, for their part, have scheduled the aforementioned match with France and another against Croatia, also on American soil.

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For Spain and Argentina, the most practical solution is therefore to arrange a second friendly on that date against Middle Eastern opposition. Once this final piece is confirmed, the date, day, and kick-off time of the eagerly awaited clash between them can be officially announced.

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