Which team will play Lionel Messi's Argentina in India? Kerala minister answers

Kerala Sports Minister V. Abdurahiman on Saturday said that they are trying to bring a top-tier football team to compete against Argentina in the football friendly that is set to be played in India later this year.

On Saturday, August 23, the Argentina Football Association announced that it would be playing an international friendly in India between November 10 and 18. While the opponent has not been announced yet, Kerala’s sports minister revealed that multiple football associations have expressed interest in playing against Lionel Messi's side.

"We will select a team from among FIFA’s top 50. Several teams have approached us. The Australian football team has expressed interest, and we also have a sports exchange agreement with them. Similarly, three or four other teams have contacted us," Abdurahiman told reporters on Saturday.

Abdurahiman revealed that the AFA wanted to play this match in 2026, but the state government requested the federation to schedule the match in either October or November this year.

"Initially, AFA planned it for 2026. However, we contacted them and requested that they hold the match in Kerala this year. Now, AFA has officially confirmed it. We intend to bring the Argentina squad that won the 2022 World Cup," the minister said.

Expressing his happiness, Abdurahiman added, "A lot of effort has gone into bringing the Argentina football team to Kerala. We have started planning the rest of the arrangements and will soon discuss the details, including the venue, with the Chief Minister."

He said several lakh football fans in the state are eagerly awaiting the match. "Our intention is to provide a platform for fans to see Messi play in Kerala," he said.

Argentina Set For a Rematch?

In case Lionel Messi's Argentina do end up playing Australia in Kerala, it would be a rematch of their 2022 FIFA World Cup clash, where Lionel Messi took apart the opposition with his exceptional game awareness. The win against Australia helped Argentina qualify for the quarter-final of the tournament.

In that game, Messi was the best player on the pitch. Former Manchester United player Rio Ferdinand had reacted to Messi’s performance in the game and had called it the best individual performance of the 2022 competition.

Messi's Argentina, of course, went on to win the tournament, beating France in a thrilling final.