Argentina beat Italy to win Finalissima

Argentina won the Finalissima with a convincing 3-0 win over Italy at a packed Wembley.

First-half goals from Lautaro Martinez and Angel Di Maria put Lionel Scaloni’s side in charge and a stoppage-time strike from substitute Paulo Dybala only reflected Argentina’s superiority.

The game between the winners of last year’s Copa America and European Championship was surprisingly one-sided as Lionel Messi captained his team to a deserved victory with a performance that rolled back the years in front of an adoring crowd.

Finalissima, in its previous incarnation as the Artemio Franchi Cup, was last held in 1993.

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Argentina beat Denmark in the competition following a penalty shootout. Diego Maradona lifted the trophy.

According to SkySports, the  only other occasion that it has been staged was the inaugural event in 1985 – when France beat Uruguay – but the fixture was well attended by supporters of both sides as 87,112 filled the stadium.

The Argentinian fans among them certainly enjoyed the celebrations.

For Italy, it was an unhappy return to the scene of their Euro 2020 triumph over England last summer. That was heralded as a renaissance for Italian football under Roberto Mancini but they have since failed to qualify for the World Cup and were well beaten at Wembley.

The Star