Hopes for witnessing Lionel Messi and the World Champion Argentina team play in Kerala this November have been dashed as the planned friendly match has been postponed. The highly anticipated game, initially scheduled for November 17 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi, will be moved to a future FIFA international window.
The announcement comes after weeks of speculation and confusion surrounding the match. While Kerala's Sports Minister had previously announced the friendly, and the Argentine Football Association (AFA) had confirmed the team's visit in August, doubts lingered.
Anto Augustine, the sponsor of the proposed match, stated on his Facebook page that the postponement resulted from delays in obtaining FIFA's permission. After discussions with the AFA, the decision was made to reschedule the match from the November window. Augustine indicated that the match in Kerala will be held during the next international window, with the new date to be announced soon.
Adding to the uncertainty, the AFA released a statement confirming that the Argentine national team, led by coach Lionel Scaloni, will travel to Spain for training in November before heading to Luanda for a friendly match against Angola on November 14. Following the match, the team will return to South America to continue training until November 18. This effectively ruled out the November 17 date in Kochi.
Furthermore, Australia, who the Kerala government had identified as Argentina's potential opponent, has also confirmed alternative plans. Football Australia announced that the Socceroos will travel to the USA during the November FIFA Men's International Window to play against Venezuela and Colombia.
Conflicting reports have emerged regarding the reasons for the postponement. Some Argentine media outlets have suggested that Kerala did not meet the necessary requirements to host the match, citing "repeated breaches". An AFA official reportedly stated that despite efforts to make the match happen, India could not fulfill the requirements, leading to a reorganization of the contract to find a new date.
The postponement has sparked disappointment among Indian fans, particularly in Kerala, where Argentina and Messi enjoy a massive following. This would have been Messi's first match in India since 2011 when he captained Argentina against Venezuela in Kolkata.
The next FIFA window is not until March 2026. It remains to be seen whether the match will be feasible during that time.
