May 16, 2025: Football-crazy Kerala will have to keep waiting to witness Lionel Messi and his World Cup-winning Argentina squad in action on home soil. Despite earlier promises and high hopes, Argentina’s newly released 2026 tour schedule includes matches in China, Qatar, and Africa — leaving Kerala off the list.
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The disappointment hits especially hard in districts like Malappuram and Kozhikode, where Argentina enjoys a massive fan base. Enthusiasm for the team soared after Messi led Argentina to World Cup glory in 2022. Many in the state still cherish memories of Messi’s 2011 visit to India when Argentina faced Venezuela in Kolkata, with fans from Kerala — including CPI(M) leader M.A. Baby — in attendance.
Last year, Kerala Sports Minister V. Abdurahiman had led efforts to bring the Argentinian team to the state, even meeting officials of the Argentina Football Association (AFA) in Spain. Following the discussions, an announcement was made that Messi would play an exhibition match in Kerala in late 2026. But with the current schedule revealed, those plans appear to have fallen through.
The timing couldn’t be more unfortunate, with Kerala also heading into state elections in April/May 2026 and the FIFA World Cup set to be held that year. For now, fans in Kerala must wait longer for their dream of seeing Messi play in their state to come true.