Football: Lionel Messi's Kerala visit called off

Kerala’s much-anticipated football spectacle featuring Lionel Messi and the World Cup-winning Argentina team has officially been postponed.

The organisers have confirmed that the proposed friendly match in Kochi will no longer take place in November due to delays in securing FIFA approval.

Anto Augustine, one of the event sponsors, announced the update via Facebook, saying, “Considering the delay in receiving FIFA’s permission, after discussions with the Argentine Football Association (AFA), it has been decided to postpone the match from the November window.”

He added that the Argentina match in Kerala will now be scheduled during the next international window, with new dates to be announced soon.

Meanwhile, the AFA has confirmed that Lionel Scaloni’s side will be in Spain for a training camp before travelling to Angola for their only friendly of the month.

“The Argentine national team, led by Lionel Scaloni, will travel to Spain in November for training and then move to Luanda for their only friendly against Angola on November 14,” the AFA said in an official statement.

After their Angola fixture, the world champions will return to South America for continued training until November 18.

Officials from Kerala’s Sports Department, however, stated that they have not yet received formal communication regarding the postponement. “We will speak to the concerned authorities and confirm the change in schedule,” a department official said.

Earlier, AFA representatives had inspected Kochi’s Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium, where Argentina was expected to face a top international side.

The Kerala government and its private partners had earlier announced grand plans for Argentina’s visit, including a friendly match on November 17, a fan parade, and public interactions featuring Messi and his teammates.