Argentina to play friendly in Kerala this November, Lionel Messi expected to play

Kochi: The Argentina Football Association (AFA) has confirmed that the national team will visit Kerala for a friendly match in November. According to the AFA’s statement on Saturday, the Argentine team, under the guidance of coach Lionel Scaloni, has two remaining FIFA match dates in 2025. The first is set for October 6th to 14th in the United States, with details of opponents and cities yet to be finalised. “The Argentine team led by Lionel Scaloni will have two friendly FIFA match dates remaining in 2025. The first will be in October, from the 6th to the 14th, taking place in the United States (opponents and cities to be determined). The second, the November FIFA date, from the 10th to the 18th, will be held in Luanda, Angola, and Kerala, India (opponents to be determined),” read the AFA statement. Interestingly, the AFA’s statement did not mention Lionel Messi or details about the national squad. However, Kerala’s sports minister, V Abdurahiman, confirmed that Lionel Messi will be part of the team traveling to Kerala in November. “The Argentinian national football team has announced that they will play in Kerala in November during the FIFA window. The team that won the World Cup under Lionel Messi, the whole squad will play here,” he told reporters. The minister’s office clarified that the state government has no financial obligations or involvement in bringing the Argentina team, as a private news channel is sponsoring the event. “It was the state govt which initially invited Argentina to Kerala. But currently the govt does not have any responsibilities regarding the development,” the minister’s office said. It is understood that Football Australia, the national football federation of Australia, has expressed interest in being Argentina’s opponent, though organizers are considering other options. “Argentina prefers to play against a side within the top-50 of FIFA rankings. They have asked us to submit a list of rivals, and the AFA will make the final decision,” said a source familiar with the developments. Thiruvananthapuram is the leading candidate to host the Argentina friendly in November, with the Greenfield Stadium as the potential venue. However, the Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) has a lease agreement and manages the stadium, making it unlikely they would allow a football match, especially after losing the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi to the Indian Super League (ISL). “We have no information about any football team from Argentina coming to Kerala. Once we receive confirmation from the state government, we can plan our course of action. So, the question of preparing the stadium in Thiruvananthapuram does not arise at the moment,” said Vinod S Kumar, KCA secretary. If the state government applies pressure on KCA, they might permit hosting the football match at Greenfield Stadium. Hosting the Argentina friendly in Kochi is almost out of the question, as the venue does not meet FIFA standards. Although most of Kerala’s football fans are from the northern part of the state, including Malappuram, the region lacks a world-class football stadium. Both the EMS Corporation Stadium in Kozhikode, where Gokulam Kerala play their I-League matches, and the Sports Council Stadium in Manjeri would require significant renovations to host the match.