Kerala’s ₹13 lakh taxpayer-funded Messi invite ends in no-show: Reports

Kerala’s ambitious plan to host Lionel Messi has ended in controversy, with the state government confirming that the football icon and the Argentina national team will not be visiting after all.

Sports Minister V. Abdurahiman had ₹13 lakh spent on his official trip to Spain in September 2024, made to extend a personal invitation to Messi, which came from public funds, according to multiple reports. This contradicts his earlier assurance that the invitation would not cost the state “even a single rupee.”

The minister travelled with the Sports Department Secretary and the Director of Sports and Youth Affairs, meeting organisers in Spain to discuss the possibility of Argentina playing an exhibition match in Kerala. The plan initially targeted an October or November 2025 visit, with the team treated as state guests, complete with government-funded security, accommodation, and logistics.

However, the event collapsed due to what Abdurahiman described as “travel difficulties” for the Argentine team in October, the only month the sponsoring partner was available to host the spectacle.

Argentina enjoys immense popularity in Kerala, especially in the football-loving districts of Malappuram and Kozhikode, where fan celebrations reached fever pitch after Messi’s 2022 FIFA World Cup triumph in Qatar. Abdurahiman, himself from Malappuram, had been vocal about his desire to bring Messi to the state.

Opposition parties have seized on the revelation of the Spain trip’s cost, accusing the government of using taxpayer money for political publicity.

With Messi’s visit now officially ruled out, the episode has left the state facing uncomfortable questions about accountability and the use of public funds in high-profile but ultimately unsuccessful ventures.