According to reports, the Argentine Football Association (AFA) and the Kerala government have come to an agreement to host the World Cup champions in Kerala.
There will be two matches in the state, according to sources. Kerala Sports Minister V. Abdurahiman is anticipated to make a formal announcement on Wednesday.
Since the Argentine Football Association will ultimately decide whether Lionel Messi can play, it is currently unknown if he will be able to. A high-level delegation from Kerala had previously travelled to Spain to negotiate with the Argentina Football Association (AFA).
The delegation’s leader, Minister V. Abdurahiman, said the talks with AFA officials in Madrid were encouraging and that they looked into the potential of Argentina’s three-time World Cup winners (1978, 1986, and 2022) travelling to Kerala.
In a statement, Abdurahiman said, “We have had great discussions about how an exhibition match of the Argentina team could be held in Kerala and as a follow-up to our discussion, a delegation of the AFA will be visiting Kerala shortly.”
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Additionally, the AFA expressed interest in working with the state government to create football academies in Kerala, which the minister said could significantly improve the area’s sports infrastructure.
The Argentina squad, captained by Lionel Messi, has a substantial fan base in Kerala’s football-mad northern districts, thus the planned visit is a significant step for the state.
