There will be a Finalissima and it already has an official date. The great duel between Leo Messi and Lamine Yamal, the present and the future of world soccer, is underway. It will be in 2026, between March 26 and 31.
It will pit Argentina, Copa América champion, against Spain, winner of the Euro Cup and contender for the Nations League.
It will be the clash everyone wants to see. Two styles, two generations, two nations that breathe soccer... and two names that will thrill millions of fans.
Lamine Yamal, the heir, face to face with the legend
Leo Messi, eternal idol, will play one of his last great matches in the albiceleste jersey. But this time, he will face Lamine Yamal, Barça's prodigy, destined to be his natural heir.
It will be more than a match: it will be a symbolic passing of the torch between the greatest player of all time and the one destined to dominate the next decade. Lamine is already shining brightly in the National Team and Barça, and reaching the Finalissima as an absolute star is an increasingly close reality.
An appointment with history in 2026
The first modern edition of the Finalissima, in 2022, pitted Argentina against Italy, with a stellar Messi at Wembley. This time, if Spain succeeds in the Nations League, the opponent will be La Roja. And the match will be played in March 2026, at a venue yet to be confirmed but already generating worldwide excitement.
At Barça, they are already rubbing their hands. It will be an excellent opportunity for Lamine Yamal to confirm his global status, against the idol of his childhood. The '10' everyone wants to play against... even to dethrone him.
Messi, last great appointment with Argentina?
The Argentine captain has not yet defined his future. But everything points to it being one of Messi's last official matches with the albiceleste.
At 37 years old, this Finalissima is shaping up to be one of his last important matches in the international elite. Leo is expected to announce his retirement from the national team after the 2026 World Cup.
Meanwhile, for Lamine it will be the beginning of everything. At Barça, they already see him as their new emblem and Laporta has secured his renewal until 2030. The future has a name and surname.
Information from FIFA announces that the venue, yet to be decided, will be European, considering that most Argentine stars play in the Old Continent.