After UEFA’s statement, CONMEBOL has also released a statement presenting its point of view.
“CONMEBOL and AFA have reiterated at all times their willingness to play the Finalissima on neutral ground and accepted the proposed venue after persistent insistence from UEFA to play in Madrid. Unfortunately, it was not possible to reach a final agreement to hold the match, as the alternative date requested was not accepted due to the limited time available.
CONMEBOL and UEFA had agreed months ago to hold the Finalissima between the national teams of Argentina and Spain in Qatar, a country that has demonstrated its capacity to organize events of this magnitude and a strong commitment to football.
Once the possibility of playing in Qatar was ruled out, both confederations—as well as the federations of Argentina and Spain—set out to find a solution that would satisfy all parties. In this context, it is clear that holding a single match in Madrid would violate the principle of sporting fairness, as it would not be a neutral venue.
In this situation, on Saturday, March 14, AFA received the proposal to hold the match at a neutral venue, Italy, on March 27. Argentina accepted the idea without objections, except for the date, suggesting March 31 instead.
Unfortunately, UEFA communicated that holding the match on the 31st—just four days later than the original proposal—was not possible, resulting in the cancellation of the Finalissima.
CONMEBOL and AFA deeply regret that, despite the efforts made and the willingness shown to play this match on neutral ground from the very beginning, it was not possible.
For CONMEBOL and AFA, there is nothing left but to thank Qatar for their usual positive disposition and UEFA and the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) for their efforts to make this important match happen.”