(Image Credit: Lionel Messi via Instagram)
On October 27, 2025, during a ceremonial event in Erumapetty, Thrissur, just prior to a school grounds inauguration, V. Abdurahiman, Kerala’s Sports Minister, became agitated while surrounded by reporters and subsequently lost his confidence during questioning about the irregularities when attempting to introduce Lionel Messi and the Argentina national football team to Kerala.
Reporters were apparently focused on questioning the sponsorship of Messi’s arrival and the irregularities regarding the national team contract when the minister lost his composure. At that moment he caused visible chaos by overturning microphones belonging to reporters, forcing aides on the scene to intervene. The dynamic raised discussions about press freedom and also raised doubts about political accountability tied to public events. Witnesses state that the minister shouted ‘stop questions on Messi,’ immediately before causing a media disruption. Therefore, the event was officially billed as a ceremonial inauguration, but escalated into a public confrontation between the press and politically appointed media. This eradicated the pretense of graduation for a performance that has circulated through the local media machine, for exposing the intricacies surrounding Messi’s proposed hired visit.
At the heart of the fuss, there is a bigger situation here: the state’s role in enabling and/or supporting the trip by Argentine football heroes and whether public money or guarantees have been misapplied or inadequately disclosed. Previous reports had revealed how much Kerala supposedly spent on an official visit to Spain to invite Messi, meanwhile previously claiming there was zero cost to taxpayers. The minister’s contempt for queries from the media this week will probably prompt more scrutiny and political action, especially as stakeholders are now pushing for clarity about sponsorship, contracts and the government’s role in the whole exercise.
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