The excitement surrounding Lionel Messi’s potential arrival in Kochi for a friendly match between Argentina and Australia on November 17, 2025, has been overshadowed by a series of confusing reports and mounting uncertainty.
Regardless of months of preparation and multiple official confirmations, the trip is now clouded by conflicting statements and administrative setbacks.
According to Spanish media outlet La Nación, the Argentina football team’s visit to Kerala has been called off due to the hosts failing to meet required conditions. The situation, however, remains in flux, with some organisers maintaining that the match will proceed as planned.
Timeline of the anticipated Messi visit
In December 2022, after Argentina’s historic World Cup victory, Kerala’s Sports Minister V. Abdurahiman formally invited Lionel Messi and the Argentina national team to visit the state.
The visit was considered a great event with plans for local traders to fund the trip. The prospect of seeing Messi play in Kochi created a lot of excitement across the state, particularly given Kerala’s deep-rooted football culture.
Kerala’s sports minister flew to Spain to meet with officials from the Argentina Football Association (AFA) in September 2024. The trip, costing the state government Rs 13 lakh, was seen as an important step in cementing the deal.
The match, originally scheduled for October or November 2025, seemed within reach, and anticipation was at an all-time high.
Anto Augustine, managing director of the private broadcasting company Reporter Broadcasting, the sponsor of the visit, revealed that they had paid a staggering Rs 130 crore to the AFA.
This payment was a key part of bringing Messi and his World Cup-winning squad to India. However, while the deal was in place, delays began to surface, raising doubts about whether the event would actually happen as planned.
As 2025 progressed, the dream of hosting Messi began to encounter obstacles. Weather conditions in Kochi, along with other scheduling difficulties, led to rumours that the friendly match might be postponed or moved to another location.
There were even talks about rescheduling the event for March 2026.
In a shocking development, Kerala’s Sports Minister confirmed that the Argentina team, led by Messi, would no longer visit Kerala in October 2025. Minister Abdurahiman stated that scheduling conflicts were the primary reason for the cancellation and accused the AFA of breaching the terms of the agreement.
In response, AFA officials pointed fingers at Kerala’s failure to meet the contractual obligations.
In August, just when hopes seemed dashed, the AFA officially confirmed that the friendly match would indeed take place in Kochi in mid-November 2025.
The announcement brought back the excitement, with fans looking forward to witnessing Messi and his teammates in action. It seemed as though the event was back on track, but the uncertainty surrounding the visit had already begun to take its toll.
However, recently, new reports emerged suggesting that the November friendly was once again in jeopardy. La Nación reported that the AFA had cancelled the trip due to unmet requirements and administrative failures by Kerala’s authorities.
Despite earlier confirmations from both the AFA and the local organisers, the situation appeared to be unraveling, with talks now turning to the possibility of rescheduling the match for March 2026.
Confusing statements from organisers
Amid the ongoing confusion, conflicting statements have come from various stakeholders involved in organising the event. On one side, Anto Augustine, managing director of the private broadcasting company Reporter Broadcasting, which is the official sponsor and organiser of the match, has remained adamant that the match will go ahead as planned.
Augustine has firmly stated that Messi will be part of the squad, alongside other key players like Lautaro Martínez and Emiliano Martínez.
However, other officials, including those from the Kerala Sports Ministry, have been more cautious. A senior official from the Ministry told Indian Express, “We are happy to welcome the Argentina and Australia football teams to Kochi for the friendly match on November 17. However, we are not yet sure if Lionel Messi himself will be part of the squad. That decision rests with him.”
Preparation for the match
Regardless of the uncertainty, preparations for the match in Kochi have been ramping up. Authorities in Kerala are making extensive security arrangements to handle what is expected to be a massive event. With an anticipated crowd of around 50,000 people, the local police are taking no chances.
Kochi City Police Commissioner Putta Vimaladithya has been appointed to oversee all security measures. “We are expecting nearly 50,000 people at the stadium. Only those with tickets will be allowed near the stadium. We are planning to use technology like CCTV cameras and drones to monitor the situation. There will also be barricades and other security measures in place,” Vimaladithya told Indian Express.
Football is a way of life in Kerala, particularly in cities like Kochi, Malappuram, and Kozhikode, where the game is followed with a passion that matches any footballing nation. The potential visit of Messi, arguably the greatest footballer of all time, was seen as an opportunity to place Kerala on the global football map.
However, as the situation continues to evolve, it seems increasingly unlikely that this dream will be realised. The constant back-and-forth between organisers, the Kerala government, and the AFA has only added to the sense of frustration.