How Lionel Messi's Argentina plan to stop Lamine Yamal in La Finalissima: Revealed
Argentina and Spain will face each other in the Finalissima.
As Spain prepare to face off against Lionel Messi’s Argentina in Qatar, Lionel Scaloni has reportedly planned a strategy to minimise Lamine Yamal’s threat in La Finalissima.
In the national team counterpart of the now-defunct Intercontinental Cup, the European champions will play the Copa America winners in Qatar next month in a pre-World Cup encounter. The Barcelona sensation will face Lionel Messi for the first time in the match.
Argentina are the reigning champion after defeating Italy 3-0 at Wembley in 2022, thanks to goals from Paulo Dybala, Lautaro Martinez, and Angel Di Maria. Originally scheduled for last year, the 2026 iteration will now take place in Qatar in March.
Yamal’s meteoric rise to the top
Yamal, who now wears FC Barcelona’s iconic no 10 jersey, has risen through the ranks massively in the last few years. Helping his club reach the top of European football once again and dominate in the Spanish top flight.
He placed second to Ousmane Dembele for the 2025 Ballon d’Or award, but he did win the 2025 Kopa Trophy last year.
The focus has rapidly shifted to Argentina’s strategy for containing Lamine Yamal, a teenage winger who is already regarded as one of the best in the world of football.
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How is Scaloni planning to stop Lamine Yamal in Finalissima?
However, according to DobleAmarilla, Argentina’s manager Lionel Scaloni already has a strategy in place to keep the Spain wing-wizard in check. According to the source, Scaloni will field a diligent midfielder who will consistently drop and cover for the Argentina left-back.
Theoretically, this will result in a “2-1” scenario, reducing Lamine Yamal’s impact from the right flank. Lamine Yamal has scored ten goals and provided eight assists as the reigning champions look to surpass Real Madrid for the top spot in LaLiga this season.
When will Spain and Argentina face each other?
They will face each other on March 27th.
Where will the game be played?
It will be played at Lusail Stadium in Qatar.
Who won the trophy last time around?
Argentina won the competition in 2022.
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After earning a bachelor's degree in mass media, Rajarshi began his career as a sports writer in 2019, driven by his passion for sports journalism. He has been working in the field for over six years. A devoted fan of Lionel Messi and Barcelona, Rajarshi has been involved in sports since childhood. Before turning his focus to journalism, he even represented his college at the state level. Along with covering football, he enjoys playing the game, watching movies, and experimenting with new recipes in his spare time, as cooking is one of his favorite hobbies.