London has been announced as the host city for a historic match between European Championship winners Italy and Copa America winners Argentina in June 2022.
The match, first revealed back in September, is part of a deal to form a closer relationship between UEFA, the European football body, and CONMEBOL, the South American football body, which also includes opening a joint office in London. In a statement, UEFA hinted at further matches in future, saying that the move could lead to the "potential organisation of a variety of football events".
London is a surprise host for the game – dubbed the 'Finalissima' – after chaos marred the Euro 2020 final at Wembley, with thousands of ticketless fans forcing entry to the stadium.
However, the lack of mention of Wembley in the announcement leaves open the prospect of another stadium hosting the game – with the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, opened in 2019, the likeliest alternative option.
The match will take place on Wednesday, June 1, 2022, four days after the 2022 Champions League final in Saint Petersburg and 10 days after the Premier League's final day.
✨ 𝑭𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒎𝒂! ✨ #EURO2020 champions Italy will face #CopaAmerica winners Argentina in London on 1 June 2022!🤝 UEFA and @CONMEBOL also announce a renewed Memorandum of Understanding, a shared office and the potential organisation of a variety of events. More: ⬇️December 15, 2021
The deal between UEFA and CONMEBOL, described as a "renewed Memorandum of Understanding" following an initial agreement signed in February 2020, and it will last until June 2028.
"We are delighted to build upon our excellent relationship with CONMEBOL, and our strong desire to act jointly for the development of football and its benefits to society is further reflected by this new Memorandum of Understanding," said UEFA chief Aleksandr Ceferin, announcing the news.
"There is a long tradition of cooperation between UEFA and CONMEBOL, as could be witnessed over the years with competitions such as the Artemio Franchi Trophy and the Intercontinental Cup, and it is with great pride that we are relaunching such a prestigious national team trophy to the delight of football lovers across the globe.
"We are very much looking forward to explore new opportunities together and we are eagerly awaiting the Finalissima in London in June 2022.
"I would like to thank Alejandro Domínguez for his dedicated involvement in this project and for his outstanding work at the helm of South American football."
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