Disappointment for Messi fans; Argentina team will not visit Kerala in November, says Argentine media outlet

KOCHI: Argentine media outlet La Nación has reported that Lionel Messi’s Argentina men’s football team will not be visiting Kerala in November as previously planned. The popular Spanish-language newspaper reported that the team’s scheduled visit to Kerala has been cancelled. The information came from a report by the Argentine Football Association (AFA) about the national team’s upcoming matches during the next FIFA window, from November 10 to 18.

“We did everything possible to make the visit to Kerala happen. Our representatives visited India, inspected the field and hotels, and held meetings. But India could not meet our requirements,” La Nación quoted an AFA official as saying. The official reportedly added that repeated violations led to the failure of the agreement with Kerala. The AFA is now working to reschedule the contract, and there is a possibility that the friendly match will be rearranged for March next year.

Last month, AFA representative Héctor Daniel Cabrera visited Kochi to assess the facilities at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kaloor, which was proposed as the venue for the friendly match. Kerala’s Sports Minister V. Abdurahiman met Cabrera at the stadium and assured him that the match would take place as planned. A private broadcasting company in charge of organising the match and related events had earlier claimed that Australia agreed to play a friendly against Argentina in Kochi on November 17. However, neither Australian media outlets nor the Football Association of Australia have confirmed this.