Lionel Messi’s Argentina match in India not to be played, scheduled for FIFA’s next window

Lionel Messi’s Argentina team will not play in India next month. The match, which was scheduled for November 17 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi, will now be conducted in FIFA’s next window for international matches, according to a post on social media by Anto Augustine, managing director of Reporter Broadcasting Company, the sponsor of the friendly.

Mr. Anto wrote on Facebook that there was a delay in getting the permission from FIDE for the match. He said the decision was taken after a meeting with the Argentine Football Association (AFA).

Ever since the World Champion Argentina’s friendly was announced by the Kerala Sports Minister, there had been a lot of confusion about it. Even the Minister himself had at one point said the match had been called off, but in August the AFA had confirmed that their team would play in Kochi.

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Of late, however, there had been media reports in Argentina that the India match was unlikely to go ahead in November, and it could only be possible in March 2026.