Argentina, Lionel Messi won’t visit Kerala this October, Sports Minister confirms

Thiruvananthapuram: In a blow to football fans across Kerala, hopes of seeing Lionel Messi and the Argentine national team in the state have officially been dashed.

State Sports Minister V. Abdurahiman confirmed that Argentina will not be visiting Kerala in October, contrary to earlier expectations. The much-anticipated visit had generated significant excitement among fans, but plans have now been called off.

The minister revealed that the Argentine Football Association (AFA) has informed the Kerala government that the team will not be able to travel to Kerala in October 2025.

According to the minister, there is a disagreement between the football team and its sponsors about the timing of the visit. While the team has scheduling issues, the sponsors are only interested if the visit happens in October.

Earlier, Minister Abdurahiman had publicly announced that Messi and the world champion team would visit Kerala, even posting about it on Facebook in June. 

Messi's India tour

If all the pieces fall in place, football devotees in Kolkata will have the first sighting of iconic Lionel Messi after a decade, and the City of Joy will be the first stop in the Argentine's whirlwind journey across Ahmedabad, Mumbai and New Delhi, culminating in a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The sources privy to the development informed PTI that all arrangements have been finalised, including booking the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, but an official confirmation from Messi is still awaited.

"It's been finalised and we are waiting for an official announcement from Messi, maybe on his social media handle anytime soon," said the source.

"As of now, we have agreed on the proposed itinerary, and we are just awaiting an official announcement from his social media, which would be anytime soon,” the source added.