After a long gap in proceedings, we will see a CONMEBOL–UEFA Cup of Champions match taking place on 1 June, with the two football bodies reviving the art of the winners of each continental clash meeting on the big stage in what has been called the 2022 Finalissima.
The first edition of the competition first took place in 1985 when France beat Uruguay at the Parc des Princes, while Argentina clashed with Denmark in 1993 and it was the South Americans who won on penalty kicks after a 1-1 draw against Scandinavian opposition.
Therefore, the Argentines can claim to be defending their title, with La Albiceleste boasting an unbeaten record that covered the entirety of 2021, while it has continued into 2022 and this will be a clash against the Azzurri before friendly games against Israel and Qatar.
Can Messi Fire Argentina to Finalissima Victory?
All eyes will be on whether Lionel Messi turns out for his country in this clash, with the legend and captain having made 160 appearances for the nation and scored 81 goals. He’s part of a preliminary 35-man squad that also includes Lautaro Martinez and Paulo Dybala, with Angel Di Maria and Nicolas Otamendi also experienced members of the team.
Argentina have had a few bumps in the road over the past few years although they were second behind Brazil when it came to World Cup qualification for the Qatar tournament, with eleven wins and six draws recorded in seventeen games. They have a strong team and manager Lionel Scaloni will hope his players enjoy the freedom of the Wembley pitch.
Can Italy Regain Their Mojo After Falling Short in World Cup?
Italy were heroes and now they are zeroes. The Azzurri don’t do things by half, with Roberto Mancini’s side winning the delayed 2020 European Championship when beating England at Wembley Stadium. The Italians then conspired to finish second behind Switzerland in the group and consequently they lost to North Macedonia in the play-offs.
Mancini remains in charge of the team and will hope to recapture the magic of Wembley Stadium, with Italy having more recently won 3-2 in Turkey and Giacomo Raspadori could be the 22-year-old hotshot who leads the line after the Sassuolo forward scored twice in Konya.