Saturday, April 20

Argentina vs Italy live score, updates, highlights & lineups from Finalissima Cup of Champions at Wembley


Argentina vs. Italy is must-watch any time these two storied nations face off, and Wednesday’s Finalissima sets up the latest meeting between the reigning South American champions and the defending European champions.

It’s an attempt by the two regional confederations to create a special event pitting the best teams of the two regions considered the superior force in global soccer. The 2022 edition will be played at the neutral venue of Wembley Stadium in London.

It’s as close to a potential World Cup final rehearsal as you can get, except that Italy didn’t hold up their end of the bargain, missing out on Qatar 2022 after a crushing home playoff loss to North Macedonia. 

While the Italians are missing out for the second straight tournament and say goodbye to veteran defender and longtime servant Giorgio Chiellini, Argentina are fine-tuning their engines for what they will hope is a deep run in Qatar in the quest to get Lionel Messi his first World Cup trophy in what is likely his final World Cup appearance.

Should the match conclude in a draw after 90 minutes, they will head straight to a penalty shootout to determine a winner, bypassing extra time.

Sporting News is following the match live and providing live score updates, commentary.

MORE: Everything about Argentina’s Group C at the 2022 World Cup

Argentina vs Italy live score

  1H 2H Final
Argentina 2 0 —
Italy 0 0 —

Goals:
ARG — Lautaro Martinez (Lionel Messi) — 28th min.
ARG — Angel Di Maria (Lautaro Martinez) — 46th+ min.

Argentina vs Italy live updates, highlights from Finalissima

56th min.: Near own goal by Italy! Leonardo Bonucci, who’s now wearing the captain’s armband, sends the ball back to the goalkeeper, but it almost crosses the line. Gigi Donnarumma stopped the ball right on the line. Argentina is on another level.

55th min.: Argentina is just knocking the ball around and Italy are getting frustrated with a couple of hard fouls. Italy are playing with three in the back trying to force the issue.

46th min.: Second half is underway with three subs for Italy. Chiellini is out, as are forward Belotti and Bernardeschi. No ovation for Chiellini. Manuel Lazzari, Manuel Locatelli and Gianluca Scamacca are in the match.

Halftime: Argentina 2, Italy 0

Halftime: Argentina deserves its 2-0 lead based on how clinical they were in the attack. Thanks to their lethal trio (Messi, Lautaro and Di Maria), they took advantage of an Italian defense that shows it’s in need of a revamp in Giorgio Chiellini’s farewell match.

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This is Argentina’s starting lineup at the World Cup and it’s established, confident and solid. They know what they want to do to hurt the other team. Messi has a real shot for his first World Cup if they can keep playing like this.

46th min.: What a goal by Argentina’s Angel Di Maria! Lautaro Martinez takes it right down the heart of Italy’s defense, and Di Maria at 34 beats the defenders to the ball and chips Gigi Donnarumma, who’s late coming off his line.

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39th min.: Leonardo Bonucci with the elbow into Lionel Messi’s face! He gets a yellow card, but that could easily have been a red. It’s still 11-on-11.

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28th min.: Goal Argentina! Just moments after Messi takes a shot save by Donnarumma, he beats a defender 1-on-1 and serves up a perfect ball for Lautaro Martinez who touches home. Messi abused the Italian right back Giovanni Di Lorenzo.

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21st min.: And that previous Bernardeschi incursion was followed by a set piece into the Argentine box and an Italy header that’s saved high by Dibu Martinez.

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19th min.: Federico Bernardeschi surprises the Argentina defense down the right side and he’s free to cross it, but Argentina center back Cuti Romero cuts out the cross for a corner. Italy is in a bit more control, Argentina focused on transition.

12th min.: Giacomo Raspadori with the shot from the edge of the box and Dibu Martinez makes the easy stop. First salvo from Italy so far. The pendulum has swung in Italy’s favor over the last five minutes or so.

7th min.: Free kick for Argentina 20 yards out from Italy’s goal and it takes forever before Messi finally shoots, but it amounts to nothing.

2nd min: Angel Di Maria attempts the lob shot from the halfway line! But it finishes short of the target and goalkeeper Gigi Donnarumma had a beat on it the whole way.

1st min.: We’re off. A trophy and Argentina’s 31-match unbeaten streak is on the line. Many would have expected this to be a potential quarterfinal or semifinal at the Qatar World Cup, but Italy were eliminated again at the playoff stage.

5 mins from kickoff: Argentina’s national anthem followed by Italy’s. Chiellini’s last time for one of these. He’s provided some epic anthem moments over the years.

7 mins from kickoff: Before the anthems, Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini is honored ahead of his final match.

10 mins from kickoff: The teams are in the tunnel and ready to take the field at Wembley Stadium.

120 mins from kickoff: Another reason this match will be memorable — it’s the final match in the Azzurri blue for an Italian legend, defender Giorgio Chiellini, who’s next expected to make the move to play in the USA.

Argentina vs. Italy lineups

Juventus captain Chiellini will make an emotional 117th and final appearance for Italy at the heart of their defence.

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Italy’s side is likely to look familiar to fans who watched their EURO 2021 campaign but look out for a couple of newcomers: 23-year-old Sassuolo striker Gianluca Scamacca has been linked with Premier League clubs Arsenal and West Ham and will be hoping to get some time to impress.

No Verratti, Chiesa, Insigne, Immobile, Zaniolo or Berardi for Italy (for various reasons). All could easily be starters.

Italy lineup (4-3-3): 21-Donnarumma (GK) — 2-Giovanni Di Lorenzo, 19-Bonucci, 3-Chiellini, 13-Emerson — 18-Barella, 8-Jorginho, 12-Pessina — 22-Raspadori, 9-Belotti, 10-Bernardeschi

Italy subs (12): 1-Alessio Cragno, 14-Alex Meret, 6-Manuel Lazzari, 7-Alessandro Florenzi, 15-Francesco Acerbi, 23-Alessandro Bastoni, 4-Leonardo Spinazzola, 5-Manuel Locatelli, 16-Bryan Cristante, 20-Lorenzo Pellegrini, 17-Gianluca Scamacca, 11-Matteo Politano

Argentina’s lineup will be bidding to extend the nation’s unbeaten run to 32 matches, lasting almost three years.

Angel Di Maria has played his final game for PSG, but is immediately reunited with Messi on the international stage.

Argentina starting lineup (4-3-3): 23-E. Martinez (GK) — 4-Nahuel Molina, 13-Cristian Romero, 19-Nicolas Otamendi, 3-Nicolas Tagliafico — 7-Rodrigo De Paul, 18-Guido Rodriguez, 20-Giovani Lo Celso — 10-Lionel Messi (capt), 22-Lautaro Martinez, 11-Angel Di Maria

Argentina subs (12): 1-Armani, 12-Rulli, 2-Foyth, 16-Li. Martinez, 5-Mac Allister, 6-Pezzella, 8-Acuna, 14-Palacios, 17-Gomez, 15-N. Gonzalez, 9-Alvarez, 21-Dybala

MORE: Why Italy’s World Cup elimination was a historic failure

How to watch Argentina vs. Italy

  UK USA Canada Australia
Date Wed, June 1 Wed, June 1 Wed, June 1 Thurs, June 2
Time 19:45 BST 14:45 ET 14:45 ET 04:45 AET
TV channel Premier Sports FS1 — —
Streaming Premier Sports fuboTV, ViX DAZN Optus Sport

UK: The match will be broadcast in the UK on Premier Sports.

USA: The match will be televised by FS1, which is streamed on fuboTV. A Spanish-language stream will be available on Univision platform ViX.

Canada: Fans in Canada can watch the Argentina vs. Italy match live and on demand on DAZN.

Australia: Optus Sport in Australia will carry the Finalissima.



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