20 months after the final, Lionel Messi and Argentina could face Italy in a friendly: report

There are only a few contests in soccer that attract worldwide attention and captivate audiences like no other. One such spectacle is the match between Argentina and Italy. Matches in his two soccer powerhouse countries always draw large crowds.The last time they met was about 20 months agoprospect of testimony lionel messi And his Argentinian compatriots are working hard against Italy’s formidable team and are once again on the verge of winning. friendly match.

The news came from the mouth of a prominent Argentine journalist. Marcos Duran via Relevo. He claims the two sides could meet again in a friendly. According to reports, the contest is scheduled to be held in the United States in March. Duran also said that the coaches of both national teams, Lionel Scaloni and Luciano Spalletti, I wanted to play against a strong rival.. However, all other national teams are closing in on their opponents and are fully booked ahead of the 2024 Copa America and UEFA EURO.

This reportedly eliminates the option for Argentina and Italy to play each other again. Notably, the last two teams met in the first 2022 Finalissima, a match between the winners of the 2021 Copa America and 2020 UEFA Euro.

Lionel Messi and his friends achieved a 3-0 victory at Wembley Stadium. If the two countries decide to lock horns, this could be a chance for revenge for the Italians. Moreover, if either of them wins the Copa America and UEFA EURO respective tournaments again, we might see them engrossed in another finalisima. On the other hand, there may have been a chance for Messi to play for the Italian national team.

Lionel Messi could have played for Italy instead of Argentina

Although this fact is not widely known, both of Lionel Messi’s parents had Italian ancestry. Messi could have qualified for an Italian passport thanks to his great-grandfather, who moved from Recanati to Rosario, Messi’s birthplace, in 1883. Surprisingly, the Italian Football Federation never publicly promoted young Messi to represent Italy.

Not only is Messi’s ancestry Italian, but so is the late Diego Maradona, whose mother, Dalma Salvadora Franco, is from Italy. Furthermore, Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino’s great-grandfather emigrated to South America from the Piedmont region in northwest Italy. Left-back Nicolas Tagliafico’s maternal ancestors were from Calabria, while his paternal grandparents were from Genoa. Additionally, goalkeeper Franco Armani is also of Italian descent.

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