With the government, sponsors, and AFA still in talks, fans across Kerala cling to the possibility that Messi might yet grace the state.
Published Aug 23, 2025 | 3:29 PM ⚊ Updated Aug 23, 2025 | 3:29 PM
Lionel Messi. Credit: x.com/leomessisite
Synopsis: As anticipation builds, one thing is certain: come November, when Argentina steps onto the lush turf of Greenfield Stadium, Kerala will not just host a football match — it will witness history.
The Messi-to-Kerala saga has taken yet another interesting turn, and this time the buzz is louder than ever.
On 23 August, Kerala Sports Minister V Abdurahiman announced that Lionel Messi and Argentina’s Qatar World Cup–winning team will land in the state for a friendly match in November, a claim that is now bolstered by the official word from the Asociación del Fútbol Argentino (AFA).
Just two months ago, the minister had raised hopes with a similar post, only to retract it citing scheduling conflicts, leaving fans disappointed.
Now, with the official nod from AFA, football lovers across Kerala — a state where the game is more religion than sport — are daring to believe that their long-cherished dream of watching Messi weave his magic on local turf might finally come true.
Still, until the whistle blows, many remain wary of another anti-climax.
The football fever in Kerala has finally found its most electrifying spark — Lionel Messi is coming.
After months of speculation, conflicting reports, and fan anxieties, the AFA has officially confirmed that the World Cup-winning team, led by the legendary Number 10, will play a friendly in Thiruvananthapuram this November.
In its statement on 22 August, the AFA announced:
“The Argentine national team, managed by Lionel Scaloni, will have two FIFA friendlies in late 2025. The first, in October, will be held in the United States. The second, from 10 to 18 November, will be played in Luanda, Angola, and Kerala, India.”
With that, months of uncertainty were put to rest.
Adding to the buzz, Abdurahiman took to social media on 23 August, declaring: “Messi is coming. Official confirmation has been received via mail that the Qatar World Cup-winning Argentina team, including Lionel Messi, will arrive in Kerala for a friendly match during the November 2025 FIFA international window.”
Messi is coming…
Official confirmation has been received via official mail that the Argentina team, which won the Qatar World Cup, including Lionel Messi, will arrive in Kerala for a friendly match during the November 2025 FIFA International Window.#VAbdurahiman #Messi #AFA https://t.co/fe5hdB09Js
— V Abdurahiman (@VAbdurahimanOff) August 23, 2025
The announcement was enough to send Kerala’s passionate football fans into a frenzy.
Later in a statement, Abdurahiman hailed the announcement and called it a tribute to the state’s deep-rooted football culture and the unmatched passion Keralites hold for Lionel Messi and his team.
He said the event goes beyond a match, celebrating the spirit of football-loving communities from Malappuram to Thiruvananthapuram, while inspiring a new generation to dream bigger in the sport.
Highlighting Kerala’s legacy as the “football capital” of India, the minister added that the occasion would showcase the state’s readiness to host international sporting spectacles with pride and passion.
The Reporter Broadcasting Company Private Limited, which is coordinating with the state government, confirmed that the exhibition match will be staged at Greenfield International Stadium, Thiruvananthapuram.
The channel’s Managing Director and Editor, Anto Augustine, underlined the significance of the event:
“Bringing the Argentine team to Kerala is a monumental task. We signed an agreement with the AFA on 20 December, 2024 to make this possible. Preparations are well on track, and discussions are underway to secure a top-tier opponent to ensure fans witness a spectacular contest.”
The company also hit back at the swirl of misinformation that dominated discussions earlier this year.
Rumours in May 2025 had suggested Argentina would drop Kerala from its schedule due to FIFA calendar issues, which Augustine firmly countered: “The AFA has not indicated any cancellation. We urge people not to fall for misleading claims. This is happening, and Kerala will see Messi.”
Financially, hosting the world champions is no small feat.
The Kerala government, mindful of the massive costs, turned to corporate sponsorship to make the event feasible.
Reporter TV stepped forward, sealing the crucial deal with AFA and taking the lead in event management.
For Argentina, the Kerala fixture isn’t just a friendly — it will serve as an important preparatory match ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The squad, fresh from fixtures against Venezuela (September 5) and Ecuador (September 10, 2025), will head straight to Thiruvananthapuram to ignite what promises to be the biggest sporting spectacle the state has ever hosted.
For Kerala, where football runs in the veins as deeply as cricket in other parts of India, Messi’s arrival is more than a sporting event — it’s a cultural milestone.
From the streets of Malappuram to the galleries of Kochi and Kozhikode, fans have long idolised Messi.
Now, their dream of seeing him play on home soil is finally becoming reality.
As anticipation builds, one thing is certain: come November, when Argentina steps onto the lush turf of Greenfield Stadium, Kerala will not just host a football match — it will witness history.
It all began in the euphoric aftermath of Argentina’s historic FIFA World Cup victory on 18 December, 2022.
Kerala, which had celebrated Lionel Messi’s triumph like its own, soon turned its passion into diplomacy.
Just four days after the final, Abdurahiman wrote to Claudio Tapia, President of the AFA, inviting the World Champions to the football-crazy state.
He reminded Tapia of how “every nook and corner of Kerala was decorated with photos of Argentine players and flags during the tournament” and how their visit would be “a matter of pride and inspiration.”
In June 2023, Abdurahiman created a buzz when he revealed that Argentina had shown interest in playing in India and Bangladesh between 10 and 20 June.
But he accused the All India Football Federation (AIFF) of rejecting the idea, citing financial and competitive reasons. Still, he promised: “Kerala will always welcome Argentina with all its heart.”
By January 2024, excitement peaked.
After a high-level virtual meeting, Abdurahiman announced that the AFA had accepted Kerala’s invitation.
Not only did Argentina express willingness to collaborate in training programmes for 5,000 children, but they also floated the idea of playing two friendlies in Kerala.
Though a June 2024 match was ruled out because of the monsoon, the AFA indicated readiness for an October 2025 tour — a potential historic moment for Indian football.
That November, Abdurahiman reaffirmed the plan: Lionel Messi and team would play in Kerala in 2025, with the final date to be announced soon in coordination with the AFA.
But controversy wasn’t far behind.
On 19 January 2025, during what he later described as a “motivational speech,” the minister announced that Argentina would visit between 25 October and 2 November 2025.
The claim raised eyebrows since those dates clashed with FIFA’s official international window, which closed by October 14.
The minister backtracked, saying discussions were still on, but fans were already hooked.
Then came the sponsorship drama.
Between 17 and 19 May 2025, reports suggested Argentina had pulled out due to financial troubles, after the original sponsor — the Kerala Gold and Silver Merchants’ Association — failed to secure RBI clearance.
Hope was revived on 6 June, when Reporter TV made a ₹130 crore payment to the AFA.
Abdurahiman triumphantly declared on Facebook: “Messi will come.”
But by early August, the dream seemed to crumble.
On 4–5 August, the minister confirmed that Argentina would not visit Kerala in October, citing scheduling conflicts.
The AFA proposed a postponement to March 2026, but the sponsor refused, insisting on the original timeline.
The Kerala government backed the sponsor, accusing the AFA of breaching the December 2024 agreement.
Matters worsened when reports surfaced that Argentina had committed to play friendlies in China during the same period.
The Reporter Broadcasting Company, which had invested heavily, threatened legal action to recover losses.
And yet, amidst all the confusion, a sliver of hope remains.
With the government, sponsors, and AFA still in talks, fans across Kerala cling to the possibility that Messi might yet grace the state — and finally the dream seems to become a reality.
For now, the story of Messi in Kerala remains a tale of passion, politics, money, and endless waiting — with a finish as unpredictable as football itself.
(Edited by Amit Vasudev)
