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Star Argentina footballer Lionel Messi is all set to visit India in December where he will attend multiple programmes across several Indian cities including Kolkata and Mumbai. This is only the second time Messi will visit India after he came to Kolkata back in 2011 where Argentina played a friendly match with Venezuela. This time Messi will visit India alone and fans will get to get his glimpse in various Indian stadiums. In 2025, Messi was expected to visit India twice. Firstly, with the Argentina team for a friendly match in Kerala and then a solo India tour. Unfortunately, Argentina and Lionel Messi's visit in Kerala for a match on November 17 has been postponed indefinitely. Lionel Messi Mess Continues; Indian Fans Left Waiting As Argentina Cancels November Visit to Kerala. While fans speculated about the reason of the postponement of Messi's visit, the event’s sponsor, Anto Augustine, later confirmed that the match had been postponed due to delays in FIFA’s approval. According to a report from Indiatoday, Kerala Sports Minister V Abdurahiman on October 27 lost his temper when reporters questioned him about Lionel Messi’s postponed visit to the state. Cameras captured the visibly agitated minister whispering something in the ear of a Malayalam news channel reporter before pushing away microphones and cameras. CPI(M) MLA AC Moideen, who was with him, was also seen asking reporters to switch off their microphones. Indiatoday also pointed out Minister Abdurahiman's clarification of the delay being due to FIFA’s pending clearance and blamed certain individuals from Kerala for writing to FIFA and causing the hold-up. The tense exchange came amid growing controversy over the renovation of Kochi’s Jawaharlal Nehru (JLN) International Stadium, which was being readied for Argentina’s proposed friendly match that was later postponed. Lionel Messi’s Argentina Match in India Postponed to Next FIFA Window, Confirms Anto Augustine. Amid the controversy, Congress MP Hibi Eden has alleged “shady dealings” involving the Kerala government in connection with the renovation sparking the controversy further. He pointed out that trees were cut and construction was carried out by violating norms. He also questioned whether the Sports Kerala Foundation, which signed an agreement with the Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA) for the work, had the technical capacity to execute such large-scale projects.
