Is Lionel Messi NOT Coming To Kerala? Argentina Might Cancel Planned International Friendlies: Report
Should Messi accompany the Argentine side, it will be his first visit to India since September 2011.
Disappointment might be on the cards for football fans in Kerala, as the highly anticipated visit of the Lionel Messi-led Argentina team might be uncertain, thanks to a financial failure to muster the team’s appearance fee.
While addressing a press conference in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala sports minister V Abdurahiman said that the reigning World Cup winners will play an international fixture in the state: a match that would be conducted under the supervision of the state government.
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“All the financial assistance for organising this high-profile football event will be provided by the merchants of the state," Abdurahiman said last year at an event in Kozhikode.
“For seven days from October 25 to November 2, Messi will be in Kerala. Apart from the friendly match, he will be on a public dias for twenty minutes to see you all," he added.
There were plans to host not just one, but two international friendlies in God’s Own Country. But now, it seems that a failure to acquire the needed funds to afford the team’s appearance fee (reported to be around Rs 70 crore) has put an end to all dreams.
According to the Indian Express, sources indicate that the deadline to confirm the agreement has passed while the state has failed to fulfill any of the financial commitments, which in turn has led to the likely cancellation of the initial plans.
Latest updates, especially from Argentine sports journalist Gastón Edul, state that the Argentina team will instead play friendly matches in China, Angola, and Qatar in October and November this year, casting doubts on Kerala’s earlier announcement.
Should Messi accompany the Argentine side, it will be his first visit to India since September 2011, when the current world champions faced Venezuela in a FIFA friendly held at Salt Lake’s Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata.
Argentina won the match 1-0 after Lionel Messi provided the assist to Nicolas Otamendi for a headed goal.
The 37-year-old Messi is widely considered one of the greatest footballers of all time. He has won the Ballon d’Or, an annual award given to the best footballer, a record eight times.
He has represented the likes of Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, and Inter Miami in what has been a stellar playing career.
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