1st edition after 29 years
Next defeat for the European champions: Italy lost the “Finalissima” against Argentina almost ten weeks after the bitter World Cup defeat. Captain Giorgio Chiellini missed a successful farewell from the national team in his 117th and last international match. The Azzurri lost 3-0 (2-0) to South American champion Argentina on Wednesday evening at London’s Wembley Stadium.
The goals for the Albiceleste in front of 87,112 spectators were scored by Lautaro Martínez from Inter Milan (28′), Àngel di Marìa (45’+2), who was most recently under contract with French series champions Paris St. Germain, and from Juventus Turin in injury time . Chiellini was substituted for Manuel Lazzari at the break.
After a 29-year break, Europe and South America played out an intercontinental title holder for the first time. The Italians won the European Championship last year by beating England 3-2 on penalties, also at Wembley. The Argentines around superstar Lionel Messi had won the Copa America by beating Brazil 1-0.
Chiellini, Cannavaro & Co: Most caps for Italy’s national team
In the first of the two previous intercontinental finals, France had beaten Uruguay 2-0 in Paris in 1985. In 1993, Argentina defeated Denmark 5-4 on penalties in their home Mar del Plata.
The Italians around the 37-year-old favorite Chiellini were clearly inferior. Argentina largely dominated the action, much to the delight of the numerous Argentinian fans. Messi in particular could have provided a higher result but was denied by his Parisian club-mate Gianluigi Donnarumma in the Italian goal.
The delightful encounter with Messi’s Argentina was Chiellini’s 117th cap, almost two decades after his debut. “As a child, I could never have thought or even hoped to get that far,” the defender had previously said. Born in Pisa, Chiellini came to record champions Juventus Turin via AS Livorno and AC Florence in 2005, where he shaped an era in 17 years with nine championship titles and five cup wins.
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