Kochi, Aug 23 (PTI) Putting speculations to rest, reigning world champions Argentina have announced that they will play a FIFA friendly against an unnamed opponent in Kerala in November this year.
The match will take place between November 10 and 18, and it could happen in Kochi.
“The Argentine national team, led by Lionel Scaloni, will have two FIFA friendlies in the remainder of 2025. The first, in October, from the 6th to the 14th, will be played in the United States (opponents and cities to be determined),” the Argentine football association wrote on its official X handle.
“The second, FIFA friendlies in November, from the 10th to the 18th, will be played in Luanda, Angola, and Kerala, India (opponents to be determined),” the statement read.
Kerala Sports Minister V Adburahiman too took to his social media accounts to announce the arrival of Argentina, a team that has a huge fan following in the state.
“World Champions Lionel Messi and his team will play in Kerala in November 2025,” the minister informed.
The Argentine football association had also thanked their supporters from Kerala after winning the 2022 FIFA World Cup, beating France in penalties.
Earlier, Argentina’s visit to the state was in doubt after the country’s football association did not confirm the tour and it had put the blame on the Kerala government officials for the failure to ink a contract.
The move to bring Messi-led Argentina to Kerala gained steam in September 2024 when Adburahiman travelled to Spain to meet officials of the Argentine Football Association to work out the details.
Adburahiman had also downplayed the remarks of Leandro Petersen, Chief Commercial and Marketing Officer of the AFA (Argentina Football Association), saying the world champions’ visit to Kerala would happen.
Argentina’s previous visit to India was in 2011 when they faced Venezuela at the Salt Lake stadium in Kolkata. PTI UNG SSC SSC
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