“After much uncertainty about the Finalissima match between Spain and Argentina in Qatar later this month, its cancellation was finally — and dramatically — confirmed on Sunday. The war in the Middle East is why the game, pitting the reigning champions of Europe and South America against one another, cannot take place as scheduled on March 27. But it was less clear why such an attractive fixture, with global stars Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal on opposite sides, could not be moved to another venue or switched to a different date. Two weeks of negotiations between the stakeholders involved — including the Spanish and Argentine football associations, European football’s governing body UEFA, its South American counterpart CONMEBOL and Qatari authorities — ended in an exchange of acrimonious statements. …”
NY Times/The Athletic (Video)