Argentina vs Spain: Finalissima Venue Dispute – Bernabéu or Monumental?

The Finalissima is searching for a venue. The match between Argentina and Spain, the current champions of America and Europe respectively, could be played at the Santiago Bernabéu in Madrid. This was announced by the Real Federación Española de Fútbol (RFEF), which has proposed the Real Madrid stadium to host the match, scheduled for March 27th.

However, the AFA is not in agreement with the match being played in the Iberian country. Claudio Tapia made this clear, stating that “we are going to work because Spain wants the Finalissima to be played in Spain and I want it to be played at the Monumental,” he said to the media.

Despite the desire for a home-field advantage, there’s a scheduling conflict for a game at River. AC/DC is scheduled to perform their second of three shows at the Monumental on March 27th. The Australian band will be performing on March 23rd, 27th, and 31st, meaning that if the match is indeed played in Núñez , the game would have to be postponed to the FIFA date in June, which will take place between June 1st and 9th, less than two weeks before the World Cup.

As such, the venue for this match remains completely uncertain because, just as everything seemed to point towards the Bernabéu, Tapia made it clear that the AFA opposes this option and believes the game should be played in South America, specifically at River’s stadium, despite the tight schedule.

It’s worth noting that the match was originally scheduled to be played at Lusail Stadium in Qatar, the venue where the Argentine National Team was crowned world champion in 2022. However, the geopolitical context in the Middle East, with the war between Iran and the United States and Israel, forced a reevaluation of the plans and a search for an alternative location outside the region.

Following a meeting between RFEF and UEFA officials, the Bernabéu was established as the Plan B. But the AFA will inform CONMEBOL that it does not agree with this venue, so further meetings are expected to discuss the possible location. Meanwhile, the date is approaching and nothing is defined…

The situation in the region was decisive in the change. The conflict in the Middle East, focused on the tension with Iran, generated concern about the security of the event. Even the Spanish Footballers Association had publicly requested that the match not be played in a conflict zone, prioritizing the safety of the players.

During the search for a new venue, other alternatives emerged. Wembley Stadium in London was one of the options that gained the most traction at first, but it was ruled out because England and Uruguay have a friendly match scheduled there that same weekend with tickets already sold.

There was also the possibility of taking the match to Miami, but that alternative did not materialize due to the Miami Open occupying the Hard Rock Stadium during those dates.

With this scenario, the Santiago Bernabéu and the Monumental are leading the race to host the Finalissima between Argentina and Spain. Will an agreement be reached, or will another stadium need to be found?