CONFIRMED! Lionel Messi’s Argentina to play in Kerala in November

The Argentine Football Federation (AFA) on Friday confirmed that the national team led by Lionel Messi will play in Kerala in November, putting months-long speculations to rest.

 

“The Argentine national team, led by Lionel Scaloni, will have two FIFA friendlies in the remainder of 2025.

 

“The first, in October, from the 6th to the 14th, will be played in the United States (rivals and cities to be determined). The second, a FIFA friendlies in November, from the 10th to the 18th, will be played in Luanda, Angola, and Kerala, India (rivals to be determined),” the AFA said in a statement.

 

The announcement came as a great rejoice for hundreds of fans in Kerala, as there were reports that the world champion team's visit to the state was cancelled.

 

Earlier this month, state sports Minister V. Abdurahiman also said that the Messi-led team would not be coming to Kerala as the team had informed the official sponsors that they were facing difficulties in visiting the state this year.

 

The minister stated that if the AFA had agreed to come in October 2025, they should stick to that schedule, especially since 2026 is an election year in Kerala.

 

The allegations and counter-allegations also added fuel to the row. While the Argentina team reportedly alleged that the Kerala government had violated contract norms, the Reporter Broadcasting Company, the state government’s commercial partner, accused the AFA of cheating after allegedly collecting ₹130 crore from them.

 

In November 2024, Abdurahiman said the world champions would play two friendly matches in Kerala, with the event being conducted under the complete supervision of the state government. A ministerial delegation had also travelled to Spain to formally invite the team.

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