The Indian football fans are set to witness glimpses of legendary Lionel Messi and the Argentina football team featuring in two games in Kerala in 2025. V Abdurahiman, Kerala's Minister for Sports, confirmed that the Inter Miami forward will feature in Argentina's full-strength national team in two friendly matches.
“Messi would be there, so would be the full-strength national team of Argentina," V Abdurahiman said in his post on Facebook. "This has become a reality after the full support of the Kerala Sports Foundation supported people’s football movement with the Kerala government taking over every aspect, including the security arrangements of the visiting team.
The Kerala government is directly involved in arranging all the necessary things for a successful tour for the current world champions. The tour is expected to boost the economy at the local level as fans around India will be looking to witness some quality football action from the star-studded team.
Kochi's Nehru Stadium, which can offer a 50,000 sitting capacity, is expected to host both games but there is no official confirmation on this. The All India Football Federation (AIFF) will play no role in this but Argentina FA will be required to sign off the tour with an official statement and it will be up to them to select the squad according to the players' availability.
“The official announcement will be done by a team comprising of Kerala and Argentinian officials next month," V Abdurahiman said in a press conference. "The officials from FIFA will be visiting Kochi to have an inspection of the venue and also will look into the security aspects.”
Meanwhile, the biggest talking point is Messi will be part of the team. So, it's Messi in India finally. Cricket has always been the first-choice sport in almost every category in India but Messi's popularity and his effect on the fans has no limit.
The former Barcelona forward has been in sensational form in 2024 and was part of Argentina's recent World Cup Qualifier fixtures against Paraguay and Peru.
