Finalissima (officially called the CONMEBOL-UEFA Cup of Champions) is an official one-off intercontinental football super cup played between the reigning champions of Europe (UEFA Euro winners) and South America (Copa América winners).
Organised jointly by UEFA and CONMEBOL, the match replaced the defunct FIFA Confederations Cup to crown the ultimate national team champion across the two strongest continental confederations.
Key Reasons for the Finalissima’s Return:
- To strengthen sporting and organisational ties between UEFA and CONMEBOL.
- To fill the void left when FIFA abolished the Confederations Cup after 2017.
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The Finalissima history
Following Argentina’s 3-0 triumph over Italy in 2022, the next edition was scheduled to pit Euro 2024 champions Spain against Copa América 2024 champions Argentina (featuring Lionel Messi vs Lamine Yamal). However, UEFA officially cancelled the planned March 2026 fixture in Qatar due to Middle East security concerns and scheduling conflicts, leaving the confederations to evaluate future hosting options.
What is known as the Finalissima now in 2022 is actually an idea that was in place since 1985.
Same concept: Winner of the European Cup to play against the winner of the Copa América.
In 1985, the trophy was at first called the “Artemio Franchi Cup” and usually took place every 4 years.
However, after the 1993 edition of the “Artemio Franchi Cup”, it was abolished. Why? Because of the emergence of the FIFA Confederations Cup in 1992 (which is now abolished, hence paving the way for the Finalissima today).
What a story!
Since the FIFA Confederations Cup is no longer in existence, UEFA and CONMEBOL relaunched and rebranded the “Artemio Franchi Cup” as the Finalissima in 2022.
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How The Finalissima Fixture Works
- The 2022 CONMEBOL–UEFA Cup of Champions match venue was unanimously agreed upon by both confederations.
- The match is just a single fixture to be played on neutral ground.
- The fixture is fixed for just 90 minutes. If after 90 minutes both teams are still level, a Penalty shootout will decide the winner.
Who Are The Past Finalissima Winners? The Finalissima trophy winners list
The first edition of the “Artemio Franchi Cup” took place in 1985 and France won.
However, the event did not hold in 1989 as it should because the teams involved failed to agree on date, venue and other important stuff.
In 1993, the second edition of the “Artemio Franchi Cup” took place, and Argentina won.
And now, in 2022, Argentina won again.
See the table below for a summary of the Finalissima trophy winners list.
| Edition | Year | Winner | Runner-Up | Final Score | Venue |
| 1st | 1985 | France (Euro ’84) | Uruguay (Copa ’83) | 2-0 | Parc des Princes, Paris |
| 2nd | 1993 | Argentina (Copa ’91) | Denmark (Euro ’92) | 1-1 (5-4 pen) | Estadio José María Minella, Argentina |
| 3rd | 2022 | Argentina (Copa ’21) | Italy (Euro ’20) | 3–0 | Wembley Stadium, London |
In a nutshell, Argentina is the most successful team in Finalissima history.
Finalissima FAQ
Now let’s consider some of the frequently asked questions about the Finalissima.
Yes, the Finalissima is an official international trophy co-organised by UEFA and CONMEBOL for national teams.
The Finalissima is a major international trophy and not a glorified friendly like the UEFA Nations League. The way the Argentines celebrated the win signifies how important the trophy is.
Although the competition is not organised by FIFA, we can say that it is recognised by FIFA, similar to how the EURO Cup is being recognised.
By virtue of the name, yes, we can say the Finalissima is new. However, the same idea was embedded in the defunct “Artemio Franchi Cup”, which was initiated in 1985 and is now called the Finalissima.
In essence, only the name changed, but the idea and concept have been the same since 1985.
The match between Euro 2024 winners Spain and Copa América 2024 winners Argentina was postponed/cancelled by UEFA and CONMEBOL due to regional scheduling and security conflicts. The two confederations have not yet confirmed a rescheduled date.
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The Finalíssima is not a major trophy and the fact whoever Messi fanboy wrote this decided to throw in and mock the Nations league is laughable. The Finalíssima is a major trophy because the Argentinians celebrated it alot? Seriously who wrote this? Didn’t the French and Portuguese celebrate the Nations League like they won the World cup aswell? And how can you call the Nations league a glorified trophy and overpraise a one league friendly game? How insecure from the south americans.
Finalíssima is indeed a made up trophy that comes up whenever Argentina wins a copa America, overhyped by Argentinians to step up to Europe. It’s not an inch close to the Nations league. Not even the Copa America is harder than the Nations league.