World renowned football superstar Lionel Messi will set his footsteps on Indian ground this November with one of the major football associations in the world the Argentine Football Association (AFA) having confirmed a high profile friendly match in the state of Kerala, sending the fans at the state into a frenzy waiting to see their football god, who is known to be very receptive to this problematic issue in Indian football, gracing their state.
Lionel Messi’s Kerala Tour Dates
This match will be one of the matches of Argentina in the FIFA November window, on dates between November 10 and 18, 2025. The match will be played in Kochi and the opponent is yet to be announced. This precedes another friendly which will be played between October 6 and 14 in the United States.
It is a historic moment when Lionel Messi is back in India, the last he did was in 2011, when Argentina played with Venezuela in Kolkata. The 2011 edition attracted huge crowds and there is every possibility of achieving the same this time. It has not been a smooth sail to host Messi and Argentina in Kerala. The first efforts were compromised by ambiguity and doubts were cast on overindulgence by the state administration.
Confirmation from Kerala Sports Minister
Speaking on the matter is Kerala Sports Minister V. Abdurahiman who affirmed the happening of the team, that is now well scheduled as made it even earlier than originally scheduled to be 2026.
According to Minister Abdurahiman, both the Union Sports Ministry and the Reserve Bank of India have already accepted the event and preparations are in progress including negotiations of the venue with the Chief minister. He also reasoned that the incentive of the state government is to provide the footballing fans of their state with a unique chance of enjoying their footballing champion in person.
Kerala fans have already started celebrating the news online, some even referring to it as being a moment of GOAT in Gods Own Country as the confirmation sets the social media into a frenzy.
Should this deal come off smoothly, it not only would become a nostalgic visit for the Messi fans but also, affirm Kerala as rapidly emerging global destination in the realm of international football.
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