Thiruvananthapuram – Kerala’s dream of hosting football icon Lionel Messi has hit a dead end, with Sports Minister V. Abdurahiman clarifying that the state government is not responsible for the cancellation. The blame, he said, lies squarely with the sponsoring company, not the government.
“The government doesn’t have that kind of money,” the minister stated, adding that the contract to bring Messi and the Argentina football team was signed by Reporter Broadcasting Company, and the government hasn’t received any official notice of the sponsor backing out.
Earlier announcements had raised hopes, with the minister saying Messi would visit Kerala in October 2025. However, recent reports confirm that the Argentina team will instead be in China during that time for scheduled international matches.
Messi last played in India in 2011, when Argentina faced Venezuela at Kolkata’s Salt Lake Stadium. After their 2022 World Cup win, Argentina’s football federation had even thanked Kerala fans for their passionate support.
Now, with the Argentina squad set to play in China, Africa, and Qatar in the coming months, and with World Cup qualifiers wrapping up by September 2025, a Kerala visit seems off the cards—at least for now.
