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          Lionel Messi and Argentina to play in Kerala in 2025 says state government

          Michael Regan - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images
          • ESPN staffNov 20, 2024, 01:03 PM

          Lionel Messi and the Argentina national team are likely to play in Kerala, India in 2025, announced the Kerala state government on Wednesday.

          Speaking at a press conference, the state's sports minister V Abdurahiman said, "The world's number one football team, Argentina, comprising Lionel Messi, is coming to Kerala".

          "All the financial assistance for organising this high-profile football event will be provided by the traders of the state," he said.

          Later, the state's chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan also posted the news on his social media handles, saying, "Kerala is set to make history as FIFA World Cup Champions Argentina are expected to visit next year! This dream is becoming a reality thanks to the State Government's efforts and the support of [the Argentina national team],"

          The sports minister said that the government will directly monitor the match, security, and other arrangements. There had been talk of the Argentina team coming to the state where football reigns supreme over the past couple of years, but nothing had materialized.

          At the time there had been a big debate on the value of spending vast amounts of money on bringing Argentina to India at the cost of investing in more (and better) football infrastructure for Indian footballers. National team footballer and Malayalee Ashique Kuruniyan had spoken against this, saying, "When I joined the national team camp months ago, coach Igor Stimac pointed out some of my weaknesses and emphasized the need for improvement. He advised me to practice at home and return. However, when I came back to the camp last month, he asked if I had been able to train. I had to express my disappointment and explain that due to the lack of proper grounds in my hometown of Malappuram, Kerala, I couldn't train as recommended. The only available grounds are sevens grounds. If the intention is to truly support the growth of football in the state, then the first step should be to ensure that players have access to adequate training grounds."

          Meanwhile, neither opponent nor date has been announced, and a formal announcement is expected from the Argentina FA. At the press conference, the sports minister hinted that the venue would be Kochi when said the match would have to be held in stadium that could accommodate at least 50,000 people (pointing to the Nehru stadium in Kochi).

          Kerala had brought their football fandom to worldwide attention during the 2022 World Cup when fans went large with their shows of support: a 30-foot-tall Messi cut-out (along with 40-foot-tall cut-outs for Neymar and Cristiano Ronaldo) particularly finding internet fame. The state is traditionally divided between Argentina and Brazil in their support during the World Cups (and Copas America) and news of an appearance from the world champions, especially if their captain is amongst the travelling team, would be particularly well received amongst fans.