Kerala makes another move to bring Messi-led Argentina; prospective tie-up with Spain also priority

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala has intensified efforts to bring the Messi-led Argentina football team to the state for an exhibition match, with a high-level delegation from Kerala holding discussions with the Argentina Football Association (AFA) in Spain. The talks are part of Kerala’s ongoing bid to host the reigning world champions, State Sports Minister V. Abdurahiman said on Friday.

The Minister, who led the delegation, stated that the meetings in Madrid with AFA officials were promising, as they explored the possibility of Argentina’s three-time World Cup winners (1978, 1986, 2022) visiting Kerala. “We have held excellent discussions on how an exhibition match of the Argentina team could be held in Kerala and as a follow-up on our discussion, a delegation of the AFA will be visiting Kerala shortly,” Abdurahiman said in a statement.

Further, the AFA indicated interest in establishing football academies in Kerala in collaboration with the state government, which the Minister described as a potential major boost for the region’s sports infrastructure.

In the football-enthusiastic northern districts of Kerala, the Argentina team, led by Lionel Messi, commands a massive fan following, making the proposed visit a significant move for the state.

Beyond the Argentina talks, the Kerala delegation also engaged with sporting officials in Spain, exploring potential tie-ups to enhance the state’s sports facilities. “Our aim is to turn our sporting centres into a place of excellence and for that, we need to get the support of the best. We also want to improve the job opportunities in the sports sector and discussions were also held for that,” said Abdurahiman.

The Minister added that boosting job opportunities in the sports sector and fostering a possible collaboration with the upcoming Sports Institute at Kozhikode University were also on the agenda.

With IANS inputs