Finalissima cancelled as Argentina FA announce UEFA rejected San Siro proposal
The 2026 Finalissima between Argentina and Spain has been cancelled, with the Argentine Football Association confirming that a proposed alternative venue in Italy was rejected by UEFA following the original host city of Doha becoming untenable due to the ongoing situation in the Middle East.
AFA president Claudio Tapia explained that Argentina had pushed for the match to be moved to Italy and played on 31 March, but UEFA deemed the rescheduling unfeasible.
“We could have played it in Italy, but UEFA did not accept the proposal to change the date,” Tapia said, via FCInterNews.
“We always maintained that the match should be played on neutral ground and the proposal of Madrid did not respect that principle. The Italy option was presented, but we had requested a postponement to 31 March. UEFA considered the move unworkable and the match was cancelled.”
The proposed alternate location was Milan’s San Siro, which would’ve marked a special homecoming for Inter Captain Lautaro Martinez.
Inter relief as no pressure for Lautaro to star in Finalissima after UEFA snub San Siro
The decision therefore has a notable knock-on effect for Inter, aside from San Siro being rejected as a possible location.
Captain Lautaro Martinez had been pushing to accelerate his recovery from injury with the Finalissima in mind, but with that incentive now removed, Inter can take a more measured approach to his rehabilitation without the pressure of an international fixture looming.
According to Sky Sport, the club are relieved to have more breathing room and are unwilling to take any risks with their captain ahead of the season’s crucial final weeks.
Whether Lautaro will be fit for Inter’s trip to Fiorentina remains to be seen, with further assessment expected in the coming days.