Recently Messi and Argentina won the Finalissima and the only question in the minds of football fans is “what trophy is the Finalissima?”
If you have also asked the same question before now, you are in luck because you’ll find answers to this many more questions that could bother you regarding the much-talked-about Finalissima.
To begin it is always good to understand what the trophy is all about.
What Is Finalissima?
The Finalissima is a new trophy awarded to the winner of a fixture between the Champion of Europe and Champion of South America.
In addition, the fixture is known as CONMEBOL–UEFA Cup of Champions.
UEFA and CONMEBOL unanimously came to agreement to launch the Trophy for the following reasons:
- To further unite the two confederations
- Because FIFA abolished the Confederations Cup. The Finalissima looked like a subtle replacement.
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The Finalissima history
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 America.
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 paved way for the Finalissima today).
What a story!
Since the FIFA Confederations cup is no longer in existence, UEFA and CONEMBOL relaunched and rebranded the “Artemio Franchi Cup” to the Finalissima in 2022.
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How The Finalissima Fixture Works
- The 2022 The 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 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 stuffs.
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.
| SN | Year | Winner | Runnerup | Final Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1985 | France | Uruguay | 2-0 |
| 2 | 1993 | Argentina | Denmark | 1-1 AET, 5-4 on Pen |
| 3 | 2022 | Argentina | Italy | 3-0 |
In a nutshell, Argentina is the most successful team in the Finalissima history.
Finalissima FAQ
Now let’s consider some of the frequently asked questions about the Finalissima.
Yes, the Finalissima is an international trophy. Although the competition is organized by UEFA and CONEMBOL, it is for national teams, not clubs.
The Finalissima is a major international trophy and not a glorified friendly like the UEFA Nations League. The way the Argentines celebrated the wim signifies how important the trophy is.
Although the competition is not organized by FIFA, we can say that it is recognized by FIFA similar to how the EURO Cup is being recognized.
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 which is now called the Finalissima.
In essence, only the name changed but the idea and concept has been since 1985.
The 2022 edition was telecasted on Fox Sports 1 in the US. However, we await further details about the telecasting of the next edition of the fixture.
Further Reading:
- FIFA Ranking: How FIFA Ranks Each Country Every Month
- Most Capped International Footballers – The Most Complete List
- Soccer Awards: Which Is The Most Prestigious Soccer Award?
- Who Is The Best Midfielder In CONCACAF?
- Yashin Trophy 2021: Why Édouard Mendy Deserves The Award
- Football Players Insurance: The Definitive Guide
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.