Later this month, the second instalment of La Finalissima, which is between Spain and Argentina, is scheduled to be played at Lusail Stadium in Doha. However, there are doubts about this being the place, given that Qatar has been affected by the rising tensions in the Middle East.
The United States and Israel’s bombing of Iran, coupled with the response to target air bases in the Middle East region, led to the Qatari FA pausing all football matches and competitions with immediate effect. La Finalissima would be affected by this, which is why discussions are ongoing with regards to moving the match to Europe.
However, journalist Aritz Gabilondo has told Cadena SER that Qatar are not prepared to give up hosting rights of La Finalissima, and they still see it as very possible that the showpiece event takes place at Lusail Stadium.
“Qatar has signed a contract, and has also paid a fortune for La Finalissima to be held there. You have already seen the statement from UEFA and CONMEBOL, which say that until the end of next week they will not decide anything regarding a possible change of venue. The latest news coming from there is that football is going to return this week, that airspace is reopening. It is an invitation to optimism on the part of Qatar to be able to host La Finalissima.”
Decisions will need to be made as soon as possible
It makes sense for Qatar to push hard to retain the hosting rights for La Finalissima, given the financial outlay. However, there will be strong question marks about whether the Spanish and Argentine players will be comfortable flying into the region later this month, even if the airspace is opened in the coming days, which is expected to be the case.
FIFA, UEFA and CONMEBOL will need to find a solution soon, as the situation cannot afford to be dragged out for much longer.
