Italy vs Argentina live stream: how to watch Lionel Messi in the Finalissima for free online and on TV, team news as Messi starts for Argentina

Italy against Argentina is the sort of international fixture that quickens the pulse. From Roberto Baggio and Diego Maradona to Paulo Maldini and Daniel Passarella, these two are among the most storied in the game and count on six World Cups between them. Sure, the Finalissima between the Euro 2020 winners and reigning Copa America champions is a cynical attempt by two governing bodies to flex their collective muscles with a shiny trinket for the winners, but when this game kicks off it will be full of fire, passion and, best of all, Lionel Messi. Make sure you know how to watch an Italy vs Argentina live stream for free wherever you are.

The teams are in and, as expected, Roberto Mancini has selected many of the wise old heads which secured Euro 2020 glory last summer. Giorgio Chiellini captains the Azzurri in what could be his final international appearance, alongside his Juventus team-mate Leonardo Bonucci. Jordinho gets the nod in midfield, with Sassuolo youngster Giacomo Raspadori, Federico Bernadschi and Andrea Belotti up front.

For Argentina, Lionel Messi wears the armband again for la Albiceleste in an attacking lineup that also includes Angel Di Maria, Paulo Dybala and Lautaro Martinez. Emi Martinez starts in goal, behind centre-backs Nicolas Otamendi and Cristian Romero, who returns from injury.

Italy are still reeling from their failure to qualify for a second successive World Cup finals after their shock play-off defeat to North Macedonia earlier this year. Manager Roberto Mancini has said there will be a reset in the Azzurri squad going forward, which means the Finalissima will serve as a goodbye for many of the Euro 2020-winning heroes.

Captain Giorgio Chiellini will be among them as he approaches retirement, but club-mate Leonardo Bonucci and Chelsea midfielder Jorginho could also be counting their international days as Adam Driver lookalike Sandro Tonali becomes the new face of Italy.

Argentina, meanwhile, have technically been reigning tournament champions for 29 years, having won the 1993 edition – then called the catch CONMEBOL–UEFA Cup of Champions – on penalties against Denmark.

Diego Maradona captained la Albiceleste that day and el Pibe de Oro's successor, Lionel Messi, will don the armband tonight as he seeks another piece of international silverware after finally winning his first a year ago at the Copa America. The GOAT (sorry, Cristiano) is part of a full-strength squad from boss Lionel Scaloni – back in London after a forgettable spell at West Ham as a player – that also includes Aston Villa keeper Emi Martinez, Spurs defender Cristian Romero and PSG's Angel Di Maria.

Kick-off is at 19.45 GMT (14.45 ET) tonight at Wembley, London. Lucky football fans in Italy can watch the action for free on RaiPlay. Away from home? Read on for all the details of the Finalissima and how to watch an Italy vs Argentina free live stream wherever you are in the world.

Watch an Italy vs Argentina free live stream

Italian TV network RAI has the rights to air the Italy vs Argentina live stream on its RAIPlay web player and will do so for all Italians to watch for free. 

RAIPlay is also available as an app for iOS and Android devices. That means you can watch an Italy vs Argentina live stream on your mobile or tablet as well as on your laptop browser.

Away from Italy at the moment?

Use a VPN to watch an Italy vs Argentina free live stream on RAI.

We recommend ExpressVPN as it offers a 30-day money back guarantee. Full details below.

How to watch Italy vs Argentina free from abroad using a VPN

If you're outside of Italy, you won't be able to watch Italy vs Argentina on RaiPlay without a VPN. The service will know your location based on your IP address, and will automatically block your access.

A Virtual Private Network (VPN) helps you get around this obstacle. A VPN creates a private connection between your device and the internet, such that the servers and services you’re accessing aren’t aware of what you’re doing. All the information passing back and forth is entirely encrypted.

There are many VPN providers out there, with some more reliable and safe than others. As a rule, we’d suggest a paid-for service such as ExpressVPN which offers a 100 per cent risk-free money back guarantee. If you're not happy with the service any time within the first 30-days, then you can cancel with no penalties at all.

Try ExpressVPN risk-free for 30 days
ExpressVPN offers a 30-day money back guarantee with its VPN service. You can use it to watch on your mobile, tablet, laptop, TV, games console and more. There's 24/7 customer support and three months free when you sign-up. Try it – you'll be surprised how simple it is.

How to use a VPN for Italy vs Argentina

Using a VPN is incredibly simple.

1. Install the VPN of your choice. ExpressVPN is the one we recommend.

2. Open up the VPN app and choose the location of the service you wish to access. For Italy vs Argentina, you may wish to choose 'Italy' to access RaiPlay.

3. Then head over to RaiPlay on your browser or device and enjoy an Italy vs Argentina free live stream.

If, for whatever reason, you can't get it working, then do remember that you have the comfort of a 30-day money back guarantee with ExpressVPN. You could also try NordVPN, which also comes with a 30-day money back guarantee, and Surfshark which offers 24 hour assistance.

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Watch an Italy vs Argentina live stream in the UK

The clash between Italy vs Argentina will be shown live on Premier Sports in the UK.

The company offers a handy streaming option for £12.99 a month, which includes Premier Sports 1 and 2, La Liga TV and Box Nation. 

Premier Sports is also available to Sky TV and Virgin Media customers for £12.99 per month, or via Amazon Prime Video for £14.99 a month.

Watch Italy vs Argentina in the US

Italy and Argentina football fans in the US can watch an Italy vs Argentina live stream on Fox Sports 1 which can be accessed through cable cutting services Sling,  FuboTV and Hulu Live.

Sling currently has an offer where you can get the first month of its Sling TV Blue package for half-price ($17.50 off the usual monthly price). Meanwhile, you can watch an Italy vs Argentina live stream with FuboTV . Hulu Live, meanwhile, do a 7-day free trial with a cost of $69.99 a month thereafter, which includes access to ESPN+ and Disney+ as well as Hulu and a tonne of US cable channels. There are no long contracts with any service. If you're not happy with them, you can cancel them at any time.

Of course, Sling, FuboTV and Hulu Live are only available within the States so be sure to use a VPN if you're a US subscriber stuck abroad. We recommend ExpressVPN as it's reliable and comes with a risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee.

Italy vs Argentina on Sling TV half-price first month
Catch all the channels on the Sling TV Blue package, including Italy vs Argentina on Fox Sports, with this offer. Get the first month of Sling Blue for $17.50 (half-price). It's then $35 each month after but there's no contract. Cancel at any time.

Watch Italy vs Argentina in Canada

The Italy vs Argentina live stream option for those in Canada is DAZN Canada. You can use DAZN to watch every Premier League game and many international fixtures – including Italy vs Argentina – live on the DAZN website or app.

A subscription to DAZN Canada costs $20 a month or $150 a year. No contract. Cancel at any time.

Australia: Italy vs Argentina live stream

If you're in Australia, local streaming service Optus Sport will provide live coverage of plenty of football intetnationals, including Italy vs Argentina, for just AU$14.99 per month or AU$68 a month.

Stuck outside Oz at the moment? Don't forget that you can use a VPN to access a live stream without being blocked.

Finalissima 2022: Italy vs Argentina kick-off time

All kick-off times are 7.45pm BST

Wednesday 1st June

Italy vs Argentina

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