Lionel Messi will not be playing in Kerala. This was confirmed after the Argentine Football Association officially announced that the national team will play their only friendly against Angola in November in Luanda.

Kerala’s sports minister, V Abdurahiman, claimed that while it was possible to bring Messi alone to the state, the bigger aim was to bring the entire Argentina football team.

Almost a fortnight ago, the main sponsor in Kerala for the tour, Reporter Broadcasting Company (RBC), had announced that Argentina will take on Australia in a friendly to be held at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi on November 17. But that was not to be.

RBC managing director Anto Augustine, in a Facebook post on Saturday, wrote: “The Argentina team will not be arriving in Kerala in November. Considering the delay in obtaining Fifa approval, it has been mutually agreed with the Argentine Football Association to postpone the match scheduled for the November window. The match in Kerala will be played in the next window. The announcement (will be made) soon.”

It was reliably learned that Kerala’s preparations were incomplete.

The AFA, in a statement on Saturday, said Argentina will travel to Spain in November for training and then move to Luanda for their only friendly against Angola on November 14.

Australia, too, have clarified that their plans for November. “Football Australia is pleased to confirm that the Socceroos will return to the USA during the November Fifa window, to take on Venezuela and Columbia,” a statement said on Saturday.