Lionel Messi to play international game in India? Kerala sports minister hopeful of hosting Argentina in 2025

Kerala sports minister V Abdurahiman, on Wednesday (Nov 20), announced that the Argentina football team, featuring legendary Lionel Messi, willvisitthe state for an international match in 2025. During a press conference, the Kerala minister revealed that the football match would be held entirely under the supervision of the state government. In this regard, the minister stated, "All the financial assistance for organising this high-profile football event will be provided by the merchants of the state."

Notably, Messi -- who has a huge fan following worldwide -- last played in India in 2011, when Argentina faced Venezuela in an international friendly match at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata. The tie ended in a 0-0 stalemate. Thus, ardent football fans would be desperate to catch a glimpse of Messi, who is returning to Indiaafter 14 years.

Messi has an immense following in India, a country that is deemed a cricket-crazy nation. Kerala, on the other hand, is a state where football fans are in large numbers; hence, there will be a lot of buzz to see the Argentine captain in action.

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Talking about world champions Argentina, they beat Peru 1-0 in theSouth American FIFA 2026 World Cup qualifiers on Tuesday (Nov. 19).Courtesy of a magnificent volley from Lautaro Martinez,Argentina moved past Peru with a 1-0 scoreline, whereas Brazil were held to a 1-1 draw at home by Uruguay. With this result, the in-form Argentina remain at the top of the CONMEBOL standings (with 25 points intheir kitty) with their qualification for the 2026 showpiece event surely just a matter of time. The Messi-starrer team hasbeen in roaring form since their 2022 FIFA World Cup triumph.