Lionel Messi in India — V. Abdurahiman says Argentina will visit Kerala in late 2025

Kerala Sports Minister V. Abdurahiman on Saturday asserted that Argentina, led by Lionel Messi, will visit the state as announced by the government earlier, and that the sponsor has paid the match fee for the event.
He said the World Cup winner is likely to come in October or November this year, and they would be treated as state guests. The government would meet their security, accommodation and other facilities.
The news would come as a fresh ray of hope for football fans in one of India's surviving football hubs. Earlier, several media reports had said that Argentina's scheduled visit was cancelled.
Both Abdurahiman and the sponsor, Reporter Broadcasting Company, had strongly rejected the claims. The Minister put a brief Facebook post, saying that 'Messi will come', on Friday.
The 2025 FIFA international calendar allows Argentina to play 10 matches, with four of them already played as part of the 2026 World Cup qualification campaign.
Argentina's international windows in 2025:
March 17-25 – 2 matches – Completed
June 2-10 – 2 matches – Completed
September 1-9 – 2 matches – FIFA World Cup qualifiers scheduled
October 6-14 – 2 matches – Schedule yet to be decided
November 10-18 – 2 matches – Schedule yet to be decided
The Albiceleste plays Venezuela on September 9 and Ecuador five days later in the CONMEBOL FIFA World Cup qualifiers. They currently top the qualification group and has already qualified for the next World Cup.
This leaves the next two windows open for their potential visit to India. However, their opponents are yet to be decided.
Argentina camp yet to confirm
Speaking to the media on Saturday, Abdurahiman confirmed that the sponsor's delay in paying the match fee had now been resolved
'The sponsor has paid the amount now. There are no other obstacles in this regard. As per the FIFA window, October-November is the time allotted for the world teams to take part in such events. So, the same time is likely to be allotted for us also,' he said.
As per the contract between the sponsor and the Argentina Football Association (AFA), the team management would reach the state after the payment of the match fee, and they would announce the date and other details through a joint statement, he said.
While replying to a question, Abdurahiman said it was the sponsor who informed the government about the payment of the match fee, and they are yet to get an update from the Argentina team management in this regard.
'The sponsors said they had settled the contract amount to be paid before the match. The government has no connection with any financial dealings in this regard. The contract is between the sponsor and the team management,' he said.
Will India play Argentina?
A match between India and Argentina is extremely unlikely for two primary reasons.
Firstly, a match between Argentina, the top-ranked team in the world, and India, ranked 126th, will barely contribute to Elo rankings points for the visitors, with each match contributing 10 per cent to the team's ranking this year.
Secondly, Argentina will defend the FIFA World Cup trophy in seven to eight months, depending on which window it travels to India. And that gives it a limited time to prepare. India, of all, would be an unlikely opponent to serve as a touchstone for Lionel Scaloni's men.
Where will the match be played?
If Argentina arrives, is likely to play at the Greenfield Stadium in Kerala's capital, Thiruvananthapuram.
It is a multipurpose venue used for cricket as well as football. It hosted the 2015 SAFF Championship final and can accommodate 55,000 people, complying with FIFA's standards of a minimum of 40,000 capacity.
Has Messi played in India before?
Yes, Messi last played in India in September 2011, when Argentina faced Venezuela in a friendly at Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium. Argentina won 1-0 in front of a packed crowd.
(with inputs from PTI)

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