Minister Confirms Lionel Messi Will Not Visit Kerala Due to Scheduling Conflicts

Lionel Messi's planned October visit to Kerala has been cancelled due to scheduling conflicts. However, reports suggest he will visit India in December, conducting football workshops in major cities and potentially attending a cricket match.

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Sports Minister V. Abdurahiman has confirmed that Lionel Messi will not be visiting Kerala as initially planned. Efforts were made to bring Messi to Kerala in October, but the parties involved later informed that he would be unavailable during that month. Since the sponsors had stipulated October as the only possible timeframe, it was finalized that the Argentine football legend would not be coming. The first installment of the contract for the Argentine team’s visit had already been paid. Earlier, the minister had announced that Messi and the Argentine football team would be playing in Kerala this October.

Messi to Visit India

Meanwhile, reports now suggest that Messi will visit India in December. During this visit, he is expected to conduct football workshops in Mumbai, Kolkata, and Delhi, with planned stops at iconic venues such as Wankhede Stadium, Eden Gardens, and Arun Jaitley Stadium. There is also a possibility that Messi may attend a cricket match at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. This match is anticipated to feature legendary cricketers like Sachin Tendulkar, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and MS Dhoni, and it will be played as a seven-a-side game.

Previous Visit

This will not be Messi’s first visit to India; back in 2011, the Argentine national team, including Messi, played football matches in India, notably a friendly against Venezuela at Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata. Indian football fans are sure to be thrilled to welcome Messi back after 14 years.

Regarding the Argentine team’s schedule, they will play two friendly matches in China this October. In November, their fixtures include matches in Qatar and Africa, facing the US team in Qatar and Angola in Africa. The South American World Cup qualifiers are set to conclude by the end of September.