UEFA said the match, which was part of the Qatar Football Festival, was canceled after an alternative date and venue could not be agreed.
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Published March 15, 2026
UEFA has announced that the “Finalissima” match between Spain and Argentina, scheduled to be held in Qatar this month, has been canceled due to the Middle East war.
UEFA said in a statement on Sunday: “It is a source of great disappointment for UEFA and the organizers that, due to the circumstances and timing, teams have lost the opportunity to compete for this prestigious award in Qatar.”
The U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran and Iran’s retaliatory attacks on neighboring countries have affected Gulf states, disrupting travel in some of the world’s busiest transportation hubs and canceling some sporting events over security concerns.
The match between European champions Spain and Copa America winners Argentina is scheduled for March 27th at Doha’s Lusail Stadium, and fans should have had the chance to see Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal face off.
UEFA said it had held talks with organizers in Qatar and concluded that the match could not be held due to the “current political situation” in the region.
The match between Spain and Argentina was held as part of the Qatar Football Festival. The five-day festival featured Egypt vs. Saudi Arabia and Qatar vs. Serbia on March 26th, Egypt vs. Spain and Saudi Arabia vs. Serbia on March 30th, and Qatar vs. Argentina on March 31st.
Serbia will instead play away to Spain.
“Serbia will play the current European champions Spain on March 27th on away grass, before hosting the Saudi national team four days later,” the Serbian Football Association said in a statement.
The festival’s local organizing committee said the decision was taken due to “airspace disruptions and travel restrictions” affecting the movement of many fans, players and officials.
It said all fans who purchased tickets to the festival will automatically receive a full refund.
UEFA said it considered alternatives to holding the Finalissima, but it proved “unacceptable” to the Argentine Football Association (AFA).
UEFA initially proposed holding the match at the Santiago Bernabéu with supporters in the stadium divided 50-50.
The second option was to hold the Finalissima in two legs. the second leg at the Bernabéu on March 27 and the second leg in Buenos Aires during the international period before the next Euro and Copa America.
AFA rejected both options. UEFA announced that the Argentine side had made a counter offer to play the match after the World Cup, but the Spanish side had no available dates.
“Ultimately, UEFA requested a commitment from Argentina that the match would be held on March 27th… or on an alternative date, March 30th, if a neutral venue could be found in Europe. This proposal was also rejected,” UEFA added.
The 2022 edition of the Finalissima was held at Wembley Stadium in London, with Argentina defeating Italy 3-0.
