KOCHI: Disbelief and disappointment swept through Kerala’s football circles on Saturday as confirmation arrived that Lionel Messi and Argentina will not play in Kochi this November.
The world champions’ much-hyped visit has been called off, leaving fans wondering if they were strung along by organisers who kept changing venues and dates.
The Argentine Football Association (AFA) ended the suspense on Saturday, announcing that the team would train in Spain before playing their only friendly, against Angola in Luanda on November 14.
“After the match, the delegation will return to Europe to continue training until November 18,” AFA said, confirming that India is not on their itinerary.
Did everything possible, says Abdurahiman
Australia, Argentina’s supposed opponent, also released its schedule for the same period — matches against Venezuela and Colombia in the US — closing the door on Kerala’s hopes. The cancellation brings to an end a year-long state-backed attempt to host a high-profile Argentina–Australia match at Kochi’s Jawaharlal Nehru International (JLN) Stadium.
The event was to be organised by the sports department and its commercial partner, Reporter Broadcasting Company, which claimed to have transferred Rs 130 crore to AFA in June. The rest of the Rs 200-crore budget was set aside for stadium renovation and logistics.
Initially pitched for Thiruvananthapuram and later shifted to Kochi, the project had fuelled huge excitement. Fans started painting streets blue and white, and the JLN stadium was under frantic renovation. Now, with AFA’s confirmation, that enthusiasm has given way to frustration.
Reporter Broadcasting Company MD Anto Augustine cited procedural delays and FIFA’s five-hour flight limit as reasons for the cancellation. Once vocal about legal action, he now says the company will not seek a refund and hopes to bring Argentina in March 2026 instead.
Sports Minister V Abdurahiman said Kerala “did everything possible” and blamed “negative reports” for creating confusion. Meanwhile, Messi is expected to visit India in December, with fan events planned in Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, and Delhi.
“If we only wanted to bring Messi, we could have done that. But we wanted the entire team — the world champions — to come to Kerala,” the minister said. “We met the FIFA vice-president directly and worked hard for this. Unfortunately, the approvals were delayed by a few days,” Abdurahiman said.
