20 Months After the Finalissima, Lionel Messi & Argentina Could Face Italy in a Friendly: Reports

In soccer, only a few contests are globally gazed upon and captivate audiences like none other. One such spectacle is the match between Argentina and Italy, two powerhouses in soccer whose meetings always draw a large crowd. While the last time the two sides met was about 20 months ago, the prospect of witnessing Lionel Messi and his Argentine compatriots lock horns with Italy’s formidable squad is once again on the horizon for a friendly match. 

The news came from the mouth of a renowned Argentinian journalist, Marcos Durán via Relevo. He claims that both sides could again square off against each other in a friendly match. The contest will reportedly take place in the United States in March. Duran also revealed that the coaches of both national teams, Lionel Scaloni and Luciano Spalletti, wanted to play against tough rivals. However, all other national teams have closed on their opponents and are fully booked before the 2024 Copa America and the UEFA EURO.

This leaves no choice for both Argentina and Italy to face each other again reportedly. Notably, the last two sides faced each other during the inaugural 2022 Finalissima, a match between the winners of the 2021 Copa America and the 2020 UEFA EURO.

Lionel Messi and co. had clinched an emphatic 3-0 victory at Wembley Stadium. If the two sides decide to lock horns, this might be the chance for the Italians to take their revenge. Moreover, if either side wins in their respective Copa America and UEFA EURO tournaments again, we may see them indulge in another Finalissima. Meanwhile, there could have been a chance for Messi to play for Italy. 

Lionel Messi could have played for Italy instead of Argentina

Not many know this fact, but Lionel Messi’s parents both possessed Italian ancestry. Messi could have qualified for an Italian passport through his great-grandfather, who migrated from Recanati to Messi’s birthplace, Rosario, in 1883. Surprisingly, the Italian Football Federation never publicly pushed for the young Messi to represent Italy.

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Not only did Messi have Italian ancestry, but so did the late Diego Maradona, whose mother, Dalma Salvadora Franco, came from Italy. Also, Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino’s great-grandfather moved to South America from the Piedmont region of northwest Italy. Left-back Nicolás Tagliafico’s maternal ancestors were from Calabria, and his paternal grandparents were from Genoa. Furthermore, Franco Armani, the goalie, is also of Italian descent.

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