Kochi, India – The much-hyped visit of Lionel Messi and the FIFA World Cup-winning Argentina national team to Kerala in November has been called off, contradicting repeated earlier declarations by the state’s Sports Minister, V. Abdurahiman.
The Argentine Football Association (AFA) released a statement on Saturday confirming their official schedule for the upcoming international window, which does not include a trip to India.
AFA’s Confirmed Itinerary
According to the AFA, the national team, under coach Lionel Scaloni, will travel to Spain for a training camp in November. Their only scheduled friendly match is against Angola in Luanda on Friday, November 14th. Following the match, the team will return to the “old continent” (Europe) to continue training until November 18th, which is when the FIFA World Cup concludes.
Australia Also Out
Adding to the news, Australia, which the Kerala government had announced as Argentina’s opponent for the proposed friendly, has also confirmed an alternate schedule that excludes any Indian city.
Football Australia (FA) stated that the Socceroos will be heading to the USA for the November FIFA Men’s International Window. Their confirmed matches are:
* Against Venezuela in Texas on November 14th.
* Against Colombia in Queens, New York on November 18th.
The Original Plan
The state government, which had partnered with a private broadcasting company for the event, had previously claimed that Messi and his team were scheduled to play the friendly at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium at Kaloor in Kochi on November 17th. The proposed visit also included fan meetings and an open-bus parade in the days leading up to the match.
The cancellation now brings to an end weeks of speculation and excitement among fans in Kerala, which boasts one of the most passionate football followings in India.
