Argentina celebrated the reintroduction of the Cup of Champions with a 3-0 victory over Italy in a heavyweight contest dubbed the 'Finalissima' at a noisy Wembley Stadium on Wednesday.
Lautaro Martinez and Angel di Maria scored in the first half to put the South American champions in perfect control against an Italy team that was back at Wembley 11 months after defeating England to win the postponed Euro 2020 final.
Argentina captain Lionel Messi set up two goals as Argentina proved too swift and fluid for the ponderous Azzurri in front of an 87,000-strong crowd ready to turn north west London into Buenos Aires for the night.
Argentina's early dominance was rewarded when Martinez knocked in from close range from Messi's low cross in the 28th minute.
Martinez then threaded a pass through for Di Maria to beat Giorgio Chiellini and increase the lead with a dinked finish on the stroke of halftime, sending the south American crowd behind the goal into raptures.
Argentina could have scored a sackful of goals after the interval, with Messi pulling the strings and Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma spared his side a drubbing with a series of brilliant saves.
After another mesmerizing run by Messi, substitute Paulo Dybala ultimately highlighted Argentina's domination with a drilled low finish in stoppage time.
"It was a lovely final, with a lot of Argentines in it. What we saw and experienced here was breathtaking "Messi stated his opinion.
"Because Italy is a fantastic squad, it was a good test. We thought it was going to be a great game and a great venue for a championship."
Chiellini's international career came to a dismal end as the 37-year-old was substituted at halftime on his 117th and final appearance.
The Finalissima is a re-enactment of the CONMEBOL-UEFA Cup of Champions, which has only been played twice previously, in 1985 and 1993, and while it is considered a novelty, Argentina celebrated as if it were a World Cup final.
Messi was lifted into the air by his teammates, who danced jigs of excitement on the lush Wembley field as he lit up the evening with a succession of signature dribbles.
Argentina, who upset Brazil to win the Copa America in 2021, ending a 28-year wait for a title, put on a show that bodes well for their chances at the Qatar World Cup this year, extending their unbeaten record to 32 games.
However, for Italy, it served as a stark reminder of how fast fortunes may shift.
Roberto Mancini's side were ecstatic after winning a penalty shootout against England last July, but they have subsequently failed to qualify for the World Cup for the second time after losing in a playoff to North Macedonia.
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