The president of the Argentine Football Association (AFA), Claudio 'Chiqui' Tapia, commented on the national team's friendly match against Guatemala: 'Because we want to play.' Tapia, who was at the center of the controversy over the cancellation of the Finalissima against Spain, posted a message on social media highlighting that 'Argentina deserves to say goodbye at home.' He also emphasized that 'before the World Cup, the illusion is strong, on the 31st we will all cheer for the team together. A night to cheer for the best in the world before dreaming again.' A few days ago, Tapia published a thread on his X account, again explaining the leadership's position and detailing the negotiations that led to the failed Finalissima match against Spain. Tapia stated that from the very beginning, the AFA insisted that the match be played on a neutral ground to ensure sporting fairness and noted that the initial proposal to play in Madrid did not meet that criterion. The executive also confirmed that the possibility of holding the match in Italy on March 27 subsequently arose, a venue that Argentina accepted without objection, though it requested the match be rescheduled for March 31. According to his explanation, UEFA communicated that this date was not feasible, and due to the impossibility of reaching a definitive agreement between the parties, the match was ultimately cancelled. 'From the AFA, we deeply regret that, despite the will and efforts made, it was not possible to finalize this match that football fans were so looking forward to,' Tapia expressed on social media.
