Spain and Argentina will face off in the Finalissima on March 27 in a high-profile clash set to pit Barcelona star Lamine Yamal against Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi for the first time.
The fixture will see the European champions take on the South American champions at Lusail Stadium in Qatar, the same venue where Argentina lifted the World Cup in 2022.
It will be the fourth staging of the Finalissima but only the second time the trophy has been contested this century.
Argentina are the current holders after defeating Italy 3 0 at Wembley in 2022. France won the inaugural edition of the competition, then known as the Artemio Franchi Cup, beating Uruguay in 1985, while Argentina claimed the trophy again in 1993 following a penalty shootout victory over Denmark.
The upcoming match will mark the first time Yamal faces Messi in a competitive fixture. The 18 year old has often been compared to the 38 year old due to their similar development paths at Barcelona, as well as their shared traits of playing on the right wing, being left footed and wearing the No 10 shirt.
Yamal has played down the comparisons, insisting he is focused on forging his own career.
“I respect him, in the end for what he’s been, for what he is to football, and if we ever meet on a pitch, there will be that mutual respect because we are players and because, for me, he’s the best in history,” Yamal said last month.
“He also knows I am a player and I respect him, so it’s mutual respect. We both know I don’t want to be Messi and Messi knows I don’t want to be him. I want to follow my path and that’s it.”
Despite this being their first on field meeting, the two have crossed paths before. Messi posed with Yamal as a baby in 2007 for a charity calendar, with the images resurfacing and going viral during Euro 2024 as Spain went on to win the European Championship.
Additional photos also show a young Yamal with Messi at Barcelona’s training ground when Yamal was part of the club’s academy and Messi was still in the first team.
The Spain-Argentina encounter comes just months before the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico, with both nations considered among the favourites to win the tournament.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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