'Not acceptable!' - Argentine FA accused of breaking £15m Lionel Messi visit agreement by Kerala government's commercial partner

The Kerala government had been hoping to bring Messi and Argentina to the state in 2025. Anto Augustine, the managing director of the firm overseeing the deal, has now accused the AFA of breaking a contract to bring Messi and his team-mates for a visit and to play two friendlies during international windows in October and November.

Augustine has also said that ₹130 crore ($15 million) was paid to the AFA in June as part of the agreement. "They confirmed the receipt of the payment and thanked us for our patience," he told Manorama Online. He also claimed that Argentina want to reschedule and are not now planning on making the trip this year.

Augustine added: "But now they are saying, how about September 2026? That is not ok for us. The World Cup is scheduled to begin in June, and we are not sure if Argentina will be world champions again. The deal was to have the 2022 world champions play in Kerala this year."

Kerala's Sports Minister V Abdurahiman has also rejected Argentina's plans to reschedule: "If they had agreed to come in October, then they should stick to that schedule. Next year is an election year, and their proposal to play in March is not acceptable."

While Messi does not look set to visit Kerala as previously expected, he is due to visit India in December. The Inter Miami star is expected to take in trips to Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Mumbai and New Delhi during his time in the country.

Argentina's next matches are in September when Lionel Scaloni's side are due to face Venezuela and Ecuador in World Cup qualifying.