Lionel Messi and Argentina Match Postponed, AFA Confirms

Lionel Messi and Argentina match postponed: Kerala’s long-awaited dream of welcoming Lionel Messi and the Argentina national team this November has been officially dashed. The Argentine Football Association (AFA) confirmed that Argentina, led by Messi and coach Lionel Scaloni, will not travel to Kerala in November 2025 due to ongoing delays in securing FIFA clearance for the fixture.

AFA announced the team will instead head to Spain for training before moving to Angola for their only friendly match during the international window, officially ruling out any India (Kerala) visit or match. Event sponsor Anto Augustine stated that the Kerala match is being postponed with the intent to reschedule in the next international window, once necessary approvals are secured.

Previous announcements by Kerala’s sports officials and partners had created a buzz, with hopes that Messi, Argentina’s World Cup champions, would play in Kochi, attend fan events, and join an open-bus parade. However, with Australia also confirming separate November fixtures in the US, and no agreement reached with FIFA or AFA, all Kerala match plans stand deferred.

Kerala government and event organisers stressed that the match is postponed, not cancelled, and that a new date will be officially announced soon. Both AFA and various sponsors cited logistical and approval hurdles as the reason for the change, urging fans to look forward to an update in 2026.

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