Kerala Sports Minister V Abdurahiman on Saturday confirmed that reigning world champions Argentina, along with star forward Lionel Messi, will arrive in Kerala to play a FIFA friendly in November this year.
The announcement follows confirmation from the Argentina Football Association (AFA) that the national team, managed by Lionel Scaloni, will play two friendlies later in 2025 — one in the United States between October 6 and 14, and another in Luanda, Angola, and Kerala between November 10 and 18.
“The Argentinian national football team has announced that the team will play in Kerala in November during the FIFA window. The team which won the World Cup under Lionel Messi, the whole squad, will play here. We thank the Argentina Football Association for this. It's a truly historical moment for Kerala football and the entire sports sector,” Abdurahiman said in a statement.
Speaking to reporters, the minister added that the state had requested AFA to advance the fixture from 2026 to this year.
“Initially, AFA planned it for 2026. However, we contacted them and requested that they hold the match in Kerala this year. Now, AFA has officially confirmed it. We intend to bring the Argentina squad that won the 2022 World Cup,” he said.
Expressing his delight, Abdurahiman noted, “A lot of effort has gone into bringing the Argentina football team to Kerala. We have started planning the rest of the arrangements and will soon discuss the details, including the venue, with the Chief Minister.”
While the AFA announcement did not specifically mention Messi, the minister was emphatic: “Our intention is to provide a platform for fans to see Messi play in Kerala.” He said several lakh football lovers in the state were eagerly awaiting the match.
The minister confirmed that the Union Sports Ministry and the Reserve Bank of India have already approved the event and that a government order has been issued.
On the possible opponent, he said, “We will select a team from among FIFA’s top 50. Several teams have approached us. The Australian football team has expressed interest, and we also have a sports exchange agreement with them. Similarly, three or four other teams have contacted us.”
Argentina’s visit comes after months of uncertainty. In August, AFA’s Chief Commercial and Marketing Officer Leandro Petersen had said the world champions’ visit to Kerala was “not confirmed.”
However, Abdurahiman dismissed the remark, saying, “Petersen is an important official of the AFA, but only in marketing. The agreement was signed by the AFA president (Claudio Tapia).”
The minister had earlier traveled to Spain in September 2024 to meet AFA officials, incurring an expenditure of Rs 13.04 lakh, which drew some criticism.
Defending the trip, he said, “The Central government has agreed to our sports policy. The visits included several officials, not just the sports minister. The 13 lakh covers expenses for the entire team. We have tie-ups on the sporting front with many nations such as Spain, Australia and Cuba.”
This will be Argentina’s second appearance in India. The last time the Albiceleste played here was in 2011, when Messi led them to a 1-0 win over Venezuela at Kolkata’s Salt Lake Stadium.