Messi coming to Kerala, propaganda against government fails

Malappuram/ Kozhikode: The cloud of doubts raised by sections of the media and opposition over Argentina’s Kerala tour has been dispelled, with the Argentine Football Association (AFA) officially confirming the visit of Lionel Messi and his team. Attempts were made to portray the Kerala government’s efforts as fabricated, even claiming that Sports Minister V Abdurahiman had no talks with AFA. However, records show that over the past three years, more than 200 official communications took place between the minister’s office and AFA. Minister Abdurahiman also directly engaged in several online meetings, which laid the groundwork for formal talks in Spain with AFA’s marketing head Leandro Petersen, resulting in the approval of the Kerala visit.

Despite AFA suggesting a postponement of the visit to next October, Kerala insisted on the original schedule. Certain media fabricated false stories, citing Petersen’s social media posts and WhatsApp chats, to argue that the team would not arrive. The opposition, following these reports, demanded the minister’s resignation, a stance that has now turned baseless and embarrassing with the official confirmation.

With Argentina’s visit sealed, attention now turns to who their opponent will be in the much -awaited friendly match in Thiruvananthapuram’s Greenfield Stadium. As per FIFA regulations, Argentina must face a team within the top 50 world rankings. Discussions have been held with eight teams, and the shortlist includes Australia, Morocco, and Costa Rica. Australia, ranked 24, remains the frontrunner, having faced Argentina in the Qatar World Cup pre-quarterfinals where Messi scored in a 2–1 victory. Morocco (ranked 12) and Costa Rica (ranked 40) are also in contention, along with Asian powerhouses Japan and Iran.

The AFA delegation will inspect Greenfield Stadium by mid- September, after the Kerala Cricket League concludes. The team is expected to spend two days in Kerala and play a single match. Kerala is one of the stops alongside Angola as part of Argentina’s global tour ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the USA, Mexico, and Canada.

The visit is expected to give a huge boost to Kerala’s sports and tourism sectors. Event sponsor Reporter Broadcasting Company has already paid AFA an advance of 130 crore rupees, with the total expenditure estimated around 500 crore rupees, fully covered by the sponsor.