Here's why Lionel Messi's Argentina is unlikely to visit India for friendly match in November

Lionel Messi’s Argentina is unlikely to visit India for next month’s friendly match as the fixture could be cancelled or postponed after the latest reports. Scheduled to visit India during the November international break, this was Messi's first of two visits to India, having also been scheduled for a four-city tour in December, where the Argentine World Cup winner is likely to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi. However, the November visit to India’s Kerala is now in limbo after a tweet from an Argentine football journalist.

Here’s why Messi’s visit could be canceled

According to a report, journalist Gaston Edul reported on X that while Argentina’s friendly against Angola in Luanda is confirmed, the India leg of the tour may have “fallen through.” TyC Sports also suggested that Argentina may revise its plans for the international window, potentially playing another African nation instead of travelling to India.

If the above report becomes reality, Indian football fans in Kerala will be left disappointed, as huge buzz was built ahead of the fixture. Along with Messi, oragnisers had promised the involvement of Emiliano Martinez, Alexis Mac Allister, Rodrigo De Paul, Nicolas Otamendi, Julian Alvarez and others. However, there could be certain factors that could influence the fixture, including travel time, logistical issues and availability of players.

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With the 2026 FIFA World Cup less than 9 months away, the Argentina national team is likely to focus on fixtures that could help them prepare for the showpiece event. Currently, traveling to India from either Europe or South America could take a huge toll on players as they will have longer travel duty and other logistical issues.

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Is there room for a future window?

Reports have also stated that, Argentine Football Federation is open to postponing the fixture to the March international break. This could help the federation avoid logistical issues, along with player fatigue, as the South American side won’t have any competitive fixtures to play in.

What is the organisers take?

“There’s no information on the cancellation of Kerala plans. The Argentina ‘A’ team will visit Kerala,” managing director of Reporter Broadcasting, Anto Augustine said.

“This is an FIFA November window and has been confirmed in that manner, not a club game. All the documentation and financial matters have already been dealt with. I see these as baseless rumours,” he said.