Messi-led Argentina expected to play Australia in Kerala friendly

Thiruvananthapuram: The Lionel Messi-led Argentina national team is expected to play against Australia in a highly anticipated friendly match in Kerala this November, official sources in the state’s sports department said on Tuesday.

While the exact date is yet to be confirmed, the game is likely to take place in Kochi between November 12 and November 18, the sources added. Another source indicated that a member of the Argentine support staff is scheduled to arrive in Kochi on Wednesday to inspect the venue.

The announcement puts to rest earlier controversies over the team’s visit to Kerala. Reports in early August suggested the South American champions might not come to the state. However, later that month, Argentina confirmed they would play a FIFA friendly in Kerala in November, though the opponent was initially unnamed. The state’s sports minister, V. Abdurahiman, also confirmed the team’s visit.

According to the Argentine Football Association (AFA), “The Argentine national team, led by Lionel Scaloni, will have two FIFA friendlies in the remainder of 2025. The first, from October 6 to 14, will be played in the United States (opponents and cities to be determined). The second, from November 10 to 18, will be played in Luanda, Angola, and Kerala, India (opponents to be determined).”

Following the Kerala visit, Messi is expected to embark on a multi-city tour of India in December, with stops in Kolkata, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, and Delhi, where he is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The plan to bring Messi-led Argentina to Kerala began in September 2024, when Sports Minister V. Abdurahiman travelled to Spain to meet officials of the AFA to finalise the details. Argentina last visited India in 2011, when they faced Venezuela at Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata.

With PTI inputs