When is the Finalissima and who will be playing in it?

A busy summer of football is over, with England fans again left bemoaning what could have been.

Gareth Southgate' s men came up agonisingly short again at the European Championship, losing in the final for the second straight tournament. This time it was Spain who were the Three Lions' conquers, as they deservedly became the first team to win the trophy four times.

As well as missing out on the chance of ending 58 years of hurt, England's defeat also meant that they won't feature in the latest edition of the Finalissima. If that's a match you're not familiar with, read on, as FourFourTwo have all you need to know...

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Who will be playing in the Finalissima?

The Finalissima - Italian for 'grand final'- pits the winner of the European Championship against the Copa America winners, offering the victors another trophy and some serious bragging rights heading into the next World Cup.

The match has only been played three times before, with it being resurrected in 2022, when Argentina saw off Italy 3-0 at Wembley. Before that, France beat Paraguay 2-0 in 1985, while Argentina saw off Denmark on penalties in 1993.

Spain booked their place in the match after beating England 2-1 on Sunday evening, while the Copa America final kicked off shortly after Harry Kane and company picked themselves up off the canvas and dusted themselves down.

Argentina saw off Colombia 1-0 in Miami to seal a record 16th win in the competition's history, meaning they will again compete in the Finalissima.

If you're looking for an early narrative, this Spain versus Argentina final sets up a potential meeting between Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal , in a battle between Barcelona stars past and present, with the pair famously sharing a calendar photoshoot when the latter was a baby in 2007.

When will the Finalissima be played?

Likely, 2025. There are no details yet on when the Finalissima will take place, but it won't be until next year.

Precedent tells us it could take place at the end of the upcoming season, as the last edition of the match between Argentina and Italy was played on June 1, 2022.

That contest was played at Wembley Stadium, with Messi being given man of the match honours after goals from Lautaro Martinez, Angel Di Maria and Paulo Dybala sealed Argentina's 3-0 win.

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