Lionel Messi not coming to Kerala – Argentina cancel November India visit
Australia’s separate fixture list ends speculation about friendly opponent
DUBAI – Kerala’s long-awaited football spectacle featuring Lionel Messi and the Argentine national team will not take place this November.
The Argentine Football Association (AFA) has confirmed that the world champions have no scheduled matches in India next month, ending weeks of speculation and anticipation.
In a statement cited by onmanorama.com, the AFA announced that Argentina, led by head coach Lionel Scaloni, will train in Spain before travelling to Angola for a single friendly fixture. “The Argentine national team, led by Lionel Scaloni, will travel to Spain in November for training and then move to Luanda for their only friendly against Angola on Friday, the 14th,” the statement read.
What went wrong?
The development comes as a setback for Kerala’s Sports Minister V. Abdurahiman, who had repeatedly claimed that the AFA had confirmed Argentina’s visit. Plans were underway for the match to be held in Kochi on November 17, accompanied by fan events and a proposed open-bus parade featuring Lionel Messi and his teammates.
However, event sponsor Anto Augustine revealed on Facebook that the fixture had been postponed due to delays in FIFA’s final clearance.
“A decision to postpone the match scheduled for November was taken in a meeting with an AFA official. The match will be held in the next FIFA window,” he wrote in Malayalam, assuring fans that new dates will be announced soon.
Where will Argentina play instead?
According to the AFA, Argentina will remain in Europe and Africa during the November FIFA window, before returning to South America to resume training until November 18. The decision effectively ends Kerala’s hopes of hosting Messi and his team this year.
Adding to the clarity, Football Australia confirmed that the Socceroos – earlier rumoured to be Argentina’s opponents in India – will instead play friendlies in the United States. The Australian team is set to face Venezuela in Texas on November 14 and Colombia in New York on November 18.
The cancellation leaves fans in Kerala disappointed, though organisers maintain optimism that the long-anticipated match could still take place in 2026 once FIFA approvals and scheduling align.