Why Argentina’s Kerala visit collapsed despite Rs 120 crore-plus payment
The story of the attempted visit of the Argentine National Football Team, including Lionel Messi, to India is a complex tale of high-level government involvement, massive financial transactions, and ultimately, a breakdown in international coordination.
Court documents accessed by Mathrubhumi shed spotlight on the 'mystery' of the payments involving Reporter Broadcasting Company Pvt Ltd (RBC), which acted as the primary sponsor for the event.
RBC entered into a contract with the Argentine Football Association (AFA) to host two friendly matches in Kerala.
The Amounts: RBC was obligated to pay an appearance fee of USD 7,500,000 per match, totaling USD 15,000,000 for the two matches.
The Recipients: All payments were made to TOURPRODENTER LLC, a firm based in Florida, USA, which the AFA specifically appointed as its collection agent.
The Execution: Records show a series of massive transfers: An initial payment of USD 90 lakh (9 million dollars) was remitted and confirmed as received by the AFA Treasurer by June 12, 2025. A subsequent payment of USD 55 lakh (5.5 million dollars) was processed via the State Bank of India on October 14, 2025.
Total Paid: By late 2025, RBC had paid a total of USD 1.45 crore to the AFA's agent.
Transaction Date: The remittance was processed by the State Bank of India (SBI), Export Processing Zone, Kochi, on June 6, 2025.
Nature of Payment: The payment was designated as 'net and tax-free' sponsorship fees for a friendly match with the AFA, specifically referencing Invoice No. 351.
Bank Records: The funds were transferred via a high-value international credit transfer to the recipient's account at Bank of America N.A. (Account No. 026009593).
Contractual Context
Under the original agreement signed on December 20, 2024, the AFA charged USD 7,500,000 per match. This initial $9 million payment was meant to satisfy the requirement for a down payment following the signing of the contract.
Receipt Confirmation: On June 12, 2025, Pablo Diaz, Head of the AFA's International Department, sent an email to the Kerala Sports Minister, V Abdurahiman, confirming that the AFA Treasurer had received the 9M USD.
Initial Reallocation: Shortly after receiving the funds, the AFA initially attempted to unilaterally terminate the agreement, claiming the payment was delayed. In a letter dated June 17, 2025, they proposed allocating USD 40 lakh of the payment as compensation for damages and keeping the remaining USD 50 lakh as credit for a future agreement.
Final Retention: Despite the initial dispute, a subsequent Addendum signed on August 19, 2025, and a second Addendum on November 19, 2025, confirmed that the AFA would retain the full first installment of USD 90 lakh to be applied toward the rescheduled match.
Ministerial Direct Contact: How was it possible?
It is highly unusual for a state minister to write directly to an international sports body, but in this case, the Minister for Sports of Kerala, V Abdurahiman, was a central figure in the negotiations.
This was possible because the match was a 'government-initiated commitment'.
The Kerala State Government had officially invited the team, and while RBC was the financial sponsor, the Directorate of Sports and Youth Affairs, Kerala, was responsible for overseeing all protocols, security, and hospitality.
Minister Abdurahiman was in direct email contact with AFA’s Head of the International Department, Pablo Diaz, and Leandro Petersen regarding the funds and logistics.
Sourcing the money
The money was sourced entirely by Reporter Broadcasting Company Pvt Ltd (RBC). The Government of Kerala explicitly stated in its official order (GO(Rt) No.294/2024/S&YA) that the state 'shall not bear any expenses towards the conduct of the match' and that all financial sponsorship was the responsibility of RBC.
RBC processed these international remittances through the State Bank of India (SBI), Export Processing Zone, Kochi.
Documents confirm USD 90 lakh (9 million dollars) was the first major installment paid by RBC to TOURPRODENTER LLC. In Indian currency, 9 million USD would be over 85 crore rupees.
Why the trip did not happen
Despite the legal payments totaling USD 14.5 million, the trip failed due to a combination of regulatory hurdles and contractual disputes:
FIFA rejection: FIFA ultimately denied authorisation for the match. The reason given was that the match in Kerala was scheduled on a different continent from another already-confirmed engagement of the Argentina National Team.
Payment deadlines: The AFA issued a Notice of Termination on October 14, 2025, claiming that RBC missed a critical October 3 deadline for the second $5.5 million payment.
Allegations of bad faith: Minister Abdurahiman accused the AFA of unjustly shifting blame onto the sponsor for late payments as a pretext to evade their own failure to secure FIFA approval. He noted that while AFA claimed the contract was void on October 3, they still applied for FIFA approval on October 8, which he called a 'contradictory sequence of actions'.
Ministers involved in 'GOAT & Global'
The initiative was a massive state-backed project involving several high-level officials:
V Abdurahiman: The Kerala Minister for Sports, who led the protest against AFA's termination.
APM Mohammed Hanish: The Principal Secretary of Kerala (Sports & Youth Affairs), who coordinated approvals between the state and central governments.
Central ministries: The project received 'no objection' from the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports (represented by Under Secretary Tarun Pareek) and required clearances from the Ministry of External Affairs and the Ministry of Finance (represented by Under Secretary Jasvinder Singh).
The GOAT Tour: While the Kerala match was a state initiative, a separate 'GOAT India Tour 2025' itinerary mentions a high-level engagement in New Delhi, including a planned meeting with the Prime Minister of India.