NYON, Switzerland (AP) — UEFA said Sunday that the game between Argentina and Spain known as Finalissima that was supposed to be held in Qatar has been canceled after the widening Middle East war.
The game between South American champion Argentina and European champion Spain was scheduled to be held in Doha on March 27. It was going to be a marquee matchup between the teams led by Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal before this summer’s World Cup in North America.
But the security of the game was put into serious doubt when Iran intensified its attacks on neighboring countries in retaliation to the aerial attacks by United States and Israel that are now in their third week.
“After much discussion between UEFA and the organizing authorities in Qatar, it is announced today that due to the current political situation in the region, the Finalissima between UEFA EURO 2024 winners Spain and CONMEBOL Copa América 2024 champions Argentina cannot be played as hoped in Qatar on 27 March,” UEFA said in a statement.
Argentina and Spain were to play at Lusail Stadium, which staged the epic 2022 World Cup final. Argentina won a penalty shootout against France after Messi scored twice and Kylian Mbappé got a hat trick in a thrilling 3-3 draw.
Other venues had reportedly been considered as alternatives to Doha, including Spain's capital. UEFA, however, said all other feasible alternatives it explored “ultimately proved unacceptable to the Argentinian Football Association.”
“The first option was to stage the match at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid on the original date with a 50:50 split of supporters in the stadium,” UEFA said. “This would have provided a world-class setting, befitting of such a prestigious event, but Argentina refused."
The option of staging the event over two legs — one in Madrid on March 27, the other in Buenos Aires before the Euros and Copa America in 2028 — was also rejected. Argentina had proposed to play the match later this year after the World Cup but Spain had no available dates.
South American soccer body Conmebol said in a statement on Sunday that Argentina’s soccer federation (AFA) received an offer from UEFA to play the match in Italy on March 27, but the defending World Cup and Copa America champions countered that the game take place on March 31.
“Regrettably, UEFA said the match taking place on the 31st – only four days after their original offer – was not possible, and so the Finalissima was cancelled,” the South American confederation said. “CONMEBOL and AFA regret deeply that, despite all the efforts and the manifested interest in playing the match in a neutral ground since the first moment, it was not possible.”
Argentina won the inaugural edition of the Finalissima in 2022 with a 3-0 victory over Italy at Wembley Stadium in London.
The violence in the Middle East, where Iran is hitting the Gulf Arab states with drone and missile attacks, has stranded travelers, upset economic markets and sent oil prices soaring.
It has also impacted the world of international sport beyond the Finalissima. Formula 1’s races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia scheduled for April have been called off due to the war, while President Donald Trump has suggested that Iran not participate in this summer's World Cup that is co-hosted by the U.S.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
FILE - Spectators fill the stands during the World Cup round of 16 soccer match between Portugal and Switzerland, at the Lusail Stadium in Lusail, Qatar, Dec. 6, 2022. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein, file)
MILAN (AP) — Three weeks after the United States beat Canada in the Olympic hockey finals, the Americans overcame their neighbors again to win Paralympic gold and complete the sweep at Milan Cortina.
In front of a packed arena, Jack Wallace scored a hat trick to help the U.S. beat Canada 6-2 in Sunday’s Para ice hockey final and become the first nation to win all three of the hockey tournaments at the Olympics and Paralympics in the same year. There is currently no women’s division at the Paralympics as it is classified as an open-gender sport.
“I’m glad we got it done because I think there’s a little bit more pressure with the men and women getting the golds too,” captain Josh Pauls said. “But I’m happy we could do it for USA hockey and I think it really just shows like how much they … invest in the grassroots programs because we have so many young players coming up and playing pivotal roles on our teams.”
One of those he’s seen progress at close hand is Wallace.
“It doesn’t get much better than that,” Wallace said with a broad smile when asked about his hat trick.
The 27-year-old Wallace, who grew up loving hockey, had his right leg amputated above the knee after a water-skiing accident at age 10 and thought his dreams of playing the sport at the highest level were over before discovering Para ice hockey.
“I think watching Jack Wallace go from the player he was when he first started, from a kid who just wanted to be back on the ice after losing his leg and now to watch him score a hat trick, it’s just so awesome to be a part of people’s lives and to watch them succeed and put in the work,” Pauls said.
“I was on the ice for the first time when he was on his sled and so to watch those guys blossom is just the ultimate honor and to be their teammate is the best thing that’s ever happened to me,” Pauls said.
While the Olympics saw the U.S. men’s team win gold for the first time since the “Miracle on Ice” in 1980, it’s a very different story at the Paralympics.
It was a fifth straight title for the U.S. and Pauls — Wallace now has three and several of his teammates have four.
“I mean it’s kind of crazy, I can’t believe it,” Pauls said with a laugh. “I mean I don’t think you ever start out wanting to win five consecutive and to be the most decorated player in the sport and so I think this team is just so special.”
The U.S. has won six of the past seven editions of the Winter Paralympics. It was a third straight loss in the final for Canada, which won its only para ice hockey gold on Italian ice, in Turin in 2006.
Earlier, China claimed a second successive bronze medal as it fought back from conceding two goals in the opening three minutes to beat Czech Republic 3-2.
Sunday’s final set a new record attendance for the sport at a major tournament as 10,795 fans filled the near-capacity stands.
The mark had been set in the opening match of the tournament with the preliminary round game between the U.S. and host nation Italy drawing 8,992 spectators.
“I don’t think I could have imagined this,” Pauls said. "I mean it’s just so cool. I know this building was packed for the men’s and women’s Olympic finals and to be packed for us, I think, shows the parity of sled hockey compared to stand up ice hockey.
“And I think we had some really passionate fans. I didn’t realize so much of Italy was Canadian! And there was definitely some chants, but I’m glad we could kind of silence them a little bit ... it was such a great atmosphere to play in.”
AP Winter Paralympics: https://apnews.com/hub/paralympic-games
United States's Jack Wallace celebrates after winning the gold medal at the end of the ice hockey match between United States and Canada at the 2026 Winter Paralympics, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, March 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)
US players celebrate after winning the gold medal at the end of the ice hockey match between United States and Canada at the 2026 Winter Paralympics, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, March 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)
United States' players celebrates after winning the ice hockey gold medal match between United States and Canada at the 2026 Winter Paralympics, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, March 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)
United States's Jack Wallace celebrates after scoring his side's first goal during a gold medal ice hockey match between United States and Canada at the 2026 Winter Paralympics, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, March 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)
