With the end of 2025 also comes a long pause in international soccer. After the November FIFA break, four months will pass before national teams reunite to play new matches. In March, Argentina and Spain will contest the 2026 Finalissima, and before that, they will each play another match.
Reports indicate that final confirmation of the Finalissima, including the date and venue, will arrive in the near future after the Argentine Football Association gave its definitive approval. The match is expected to take place on Friday, March 27, at Lusail Stadium in Doha, Qatar.
However, that will not be the only game played during that period. Both Argentina and Spain will take advantage of their stay in Asia to play a friendly match that will serve as valuable preparation for the FIFA World Cup, which begins in June.
“The Argentines will face Qatar, while Luis de la Fuente’s team will play Egypt,” Diario AS reported this Tuesday. “Both matches will also be confirmed at the same time the Finalissima is officially announced.”
Mohamed Salah’s Egypt will reportedly face Spain in March.
The choice of opponents is not a coincidence. FIFA regulations prevent a national team from playing matches on two different continents during the same international break. As a result, both teams were required to look for alternatives within the region, against opponents that were also planning to play there in March.
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Argentina against Asian opponents
While Argentina’s main focus in March will be winning the Finalissima title, the World Cup—just three months away—will also be a major consideration for head coach Lionel Scaloni. Because of that, the opportunity to play an additional friendly match is an attractive option.
Argentina will face Jordan in the World Cup group stage, so playing against an Asian opponent during the March FIFA break will allow them to test themselves against a team with similar characteristics. The last time they faced an Asian opponent was in June 2023, when they played against Indonesia and Australia.
Qatar will represent an interesting test for Lionel Messi and his teammates. After making their World Cup debut as hosts in 2022, they secured a spot in the tournament for the first time through the qualifiers this year. At the FIFA tournament in North America, Qatar will share Group B with Canada, Switzerland, and the winner of the intercontinental playoff between Italy, Northern Ireland, Wales, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
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A tough test for Spain
Just as Argentina will benefit from facing an Asian opponent, Spain need to play against African national teams. In Group H of the World Cup, they will face Cape Verde—along with Uruguay and Saudi Arabia—and gaining prior experience against teams from the Confederation of African Football will be useful.
The last time Spain played against an African national team did not go well. In the round of 16 of the 2022 World Cup, they drew 0-0 against Morocco and were eliminated on penalties. Now they will have the chance to face another of the continent’s strongest teams, Egypt, who have also secured qualification for the World Cup and will face Belgium, Iran, and New Zealand.
