Messi controversy: Former sports minister’s claims fall apart, documents emerge showing govt helped sponsor 

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Reports say the then government intervened for the sponsor in the controversy over bringing Lionel Messi to Kerala. Documents that emerged say that the government sought diplomatic intervention to help the sponsor avoid the compensation imposed by the Argentine Football Association (AFA). The government wrote to the Indian Ambassador in Argentina. The letter sent by the sports department secretary say that Argentina’s withdrawal could bring financial difficulties for the government.

The letter states that the compensation imposed by the AFA for late payment of sponsor fees should be waived and that the ambassador should intervene immediately. The letter sent on July 7, 2025 also says that the state's financial interests should be protected. The letter stated that the government's reputation will be affected and fundraising will be a crisis. The letter also admits that the arrival of the Argentine team is a tripartite arrangement involving the government.

Meantime, former chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan had the other day distanced himself from former sports minister V Abdurahiman. He said other matters related to the issue would be explained by the then minister himself. He said that he had not seen Messi's permission letter from the country's Football Federation and that the chief minister did not need to know everything. Pinarayi also did not repeat Abdurahman's stand that the state government's money had not been lost. In this situation, if further investigation is carried out, Abdurahiman will have to face it alone.