The spectacular match between the winners of the Copa América and the European Championship is expected to take place this month in Qatar, as originally planned.
La Finalissima was scheduled to be held in Doha, but the conflict in the Middle East has sparked speculation that the match could be relocated.
Although in theory the event should still be organized and tickets should go on sale, the attacks launched by the United States and Israel against Iran have escalated into a broader conflict in the Gulf region. The Iranian army has targeted American military bases in the region, which has resulted in missiles also landing in Qatar. As a result, and with great uncertainty about when the war might end, the staging of La Finalissima has been called into question.
However, on Friday morning UEFA released a statement announcing that the match remains scheduled to be held in Qatar, as quoted by Diario AS.
“We are aware of the speculation regarding the Finalissima, given the situation in the region. Discussions are ongoing with the local organizers, who have made great efforts to ensure the success of the match. A final decision is expected by the end of next week. At this moment, alternative venues are not being considered. We will not comment further until a decision is made.”
According to Cadena COPE, the match could be moved to Europe instead of Qatar. There have been difficulties in finding available stadiums to host it—Wembley Stadium was initially preferred, but since it is already booked, Spain may play Argentina at London Stadium instead. Santiago Bernabéu Stadium is also available, but this idea has been dismissed because it would give Spain a home-field advantage. It is still unclear where the friendly match with the Egypt national football team will take place, which was initially scheduled for March 30.
Earlier this week, before the Spain women’s national team match against Iceland, the president of the Spanish Football Federation, Rafael Louzán, called for calm regarding the situation.
“We will have news in the coming days. I am convinced that we will have the Finalissima, and I am also convinced that the Spain–Egypt match, which is also planned, will take place,” he told TV3, as reported by Cadena SER.
Just over three weeks before the scheduled date of the Finalissima, the government of Qatar has suspended all sporting activities until further notice.
