Argentina football team to visit Kerala next year; likely to play 2 matches
Kozhikode: In exciting news for football fans in the country, the Argentina national football team will be visiting Kerala next year.
The Kerala government has reportedly reached an agreement with the Argentine Football Association (AFA) to bring the team to Kerala.
According to sources, two matches will be held in the state. An official announcement is expected to be made by the Kerala Sports Minister V. Abdurahiman on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, it is unclear whether Lionel Messi will be able to play, as the final decision regarding his participation will be made by the Argentine Football Association.
Earlier, Kerala sent a high-level delegation to hold discussions with the Argentina Football Association (AFA) in Spain.
Minister V. Abdurahiman, 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 an 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.