Three years and three months after the third World Cup coronation in its history, at the expense of the France team on penalties (3-3, 4 tab to 2), Argentina should return to Qatar. Lionel Messi lifted the trophy in the sumptuous setting of the Lusail Stadium on December 18, 2022 and is preparing to challenge Spain for the Finalissima (formerly Intercontinental Nations Cup). The two selections in question qualified for the 2026 World Cup and the clash between the winner of Euro 2024 and the Copa América 2024 was made official for the March international window.
This gala Spain-Argentina should take place north of Doha on Saturday March 28, 2026, but UEFA and Conmebol (the South American confederation) have not yet made anything official. And for good reason. “There are discussions, we will know more in the coming days. Both teams would like to return to Qatar for this meeting, Argentina wanted to come during the last international window. It’s up to UEFA and Conmebol to decide”explained Jassim Al Jassim, the president of the organizing committee for sporting events in the emirate.
After the success of the 2022 World Cup, Qatar is taking full advantage of the infrastructure built during the Fifa tournament, in particular the magnificent stadiums as well as the ultra-modern metro inaugurated in 2019, to host numerous sporting events. After the Champions Trophy last January, between PSG and AS Monaco, Luis Enrique’s team returns to Qatar this Wednesday for the final of the Intercontinental Cup against Flamengo, the winner of the Copa Libertadores (6 p.m., live on M6 and beIN Sports).
The 2036 Olympics in Qatar?
The week is busy in Doha and its surroundings since Fifa took the opportunity to organize The Best Fifa Football Awards ceremony on Tuesday to honor Ousmane Dembélé and Luis Enrique (only the 2025 Ballon d’Or came to the gala). The U23 Gulf Cup final was held the same day in Stadium 974, the container enclosure (which has not yet been dismantled), and the Arab Cup concludes with a Morocco-Jordan final on Thursday in Lusail (5 p.m., live on beIN Sports).
In addition to football, Qatar has had a Formula 1 Grand Prix since 2021, as the penultimate race of the season, and struck big by offering itself the organization of the Basketball World Cup in 2027. The opportunity to see NBA stars arrive, including Victor Wembanyama? And again, “Qatar’s vision”as Jassim Al Jassim describes it, goes until the 2036 Olympic Games. Qatar is one of the official candidates with Chile (for its capital Santiago), Turkey (for Istanbul).
