New Delhi, August 23: Kerala football fans are in for a treat this November as reigning world champions Argentina are all set to play a FIFA friendly in the state. The match will take place between November 10 and 18, most likely in Kochi, against an opponent that is yet to be finalized.
In a statement on its official X handle, the Argentine Football Association said: “The Argentine national team, led by Lionel Scaloni, will have two FIFA friendlies in the remainder of 2025. The first, in October, from the 6th to the 14th, will be played in the United States (opponents and cities to be determined). The second, FIFA friendlies in November, from the 10th to the 18th, will be played in Luanda, Angola, and Kerala, India (opponents to be determined).”
Kerala Sports Minister V Abdurahiman also confirmed the news on social media, saying: “World Champions Lionel Messi and his team will play in Kerala in November 2025.”
This will be Argentina’s second visit to India after 2011, when they played against Venezuela at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata.
Meanwhile, according to a report in the Indian Express, Lionel Messi will return to India in December 2025 for a four-city standalone tour. He will begin in Kolkata on December 12, followed by visits to Ahmedabad, Mumbai, and Delhi. In Delhi, Messi is also likely to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
