Soccer Football - Intercontinental Cup - Lusail Stadium, Lusail, Qatar - December 18, 2024 General view outside the Lusail Stadium. REUTERS/Ibraheem Al Omari/ File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
March 15 (Reuters) - The 'Finalissima' match between Spain and Argentina that was scheduled to be held in Qatar has been cancelled due to the conflict in the Middle East while the South American side rejected multiple alternatives, UEFA said on Sunday.
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The contest between European champions Spain and Copa America winners Argentina was scheduled for March 27 at Doha's Lusail Stadium, where fans would have had the opportunity to watch Lionel Messi go head-to-head with Lamine Yamal.
UEFA said they held discussions with the organising authorities in Qatar and concluded that the match could not take place due to the "current political situation" in the region.
"It is a source of great disappointment to UEFA and the organisers that circumstances and timing have denied the teams of the chance to compete for this prestigious prize in Qatar," UEFA said in a statement.
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Qatar's Local Organising Committee said airspace disruption and travel restrictions led to the cancellation of its Qatar Football Festival, where the host country, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Serbia were also set to play friendly games this month.
The Football Association of Serbia later announced they would play away in Spain on March 27 and host Saudi Arabia four days later.
OTHER ALTERNATIVES REJECTED BY ARGENTINA
The Finalissima's cancellation was not just about Qatar's security concerns, however, with UEFA saying they explored other feasible alternatives, but they proved to be 'unacceptable' to the Argentinian Football Association (AFA).
UEFA first offered to stage the match at the Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid with a 50:50 split of supporters in the stadium.
A second option was to stage the Finalissima over two legs -- at the Bernabeu on March 27 and the second leg in Buenos Aires during an international window before the next Euros and Copa America in 2028.
However, the AFA rejected both options. UEFA said Argentina made a counter offer to play the game after the World Cup but Spain had no available dates.
"Ultimately, UEFA sought a commitment from Argentina that, if a neutral venue in Europe could be found, the game could go ahead on 27 March... or on the alternative date of 30 March. This proposal was also rejected," UEFA added.
SPAIN WERE READY TO PLAY
The Spanish football federation (RFEF) said they had offered Argentina "all possible options" in collaboration with UEFA to ensure the match went ahead, adding that they had the organisational capacity to stage the clash on short notice.
"From the very outset, the Federation has expressed its absolute commitment to ensuring this match goes ahead, as it believes it brings prestige and international reputation at a crucial time in a World Cup year," the RFEF said.
"Furthermore, it has worked tirelessly to achieve this. Spain was prepared to play, as has always been stated."
The 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada kicks off on June 11.
The 2022 edition of the Finalissima was held at Wembley Stadium in London where Argentina beat Italy 3-0.
ARGENTINA'S SUGGESTED DATE REJECTED BY UEFA
South American confederation CONMEBOL said a single match in Madrid would "violate the principle of sporting fairness" as it was not a neutral venue and that the AFA had received a proposal to hold the match in Italy instead on March 27.
"Argentina accepted the idea without objection, except for the date, suggesting March 31," CONMEBOL and the AFA said in a joint statement.
"Unfortunately, UEFA announced that holding the match on the 31st - just four days later than the original proposal - was not possible, and the Finalissima was cancelled."
UEFA's final round of World Cup qualifiers are being held on March 31, with four teams set to secure their place at the tournament.
Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru and Fernando Kallas in Madrid; Editing by Joe Bavier and Pritha Sarkar
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