Dreams of thousands of fanatic football fans in Kerala of seeing the Argentine legend Lionel Messi in the flesh seem to have been dashed at least for the time being after the itinerary released by the Argentina Football Federation didn’t have a stopover in Kerala or anywhere in India.

Kerala, known for its fanatic following of Latin American football powerhouses Argentina and Brazil, was on a high ever since the Sports Minister V. Abdurahiman announced in November last year that the Argentina national football team featuring Messi will play two exhibition matches against Japan and Qatar in Kerala in 2025. He further said that while the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium in Kochi was the tentative venue, feasibility of holding matches in other cities was also being explored.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan also tweeted that the “Kerala is set to make history as FIFA World Cup Champions Argentina are expected to visit next year.”

When contacted, Mr. Abdurahiman said that the government has no official communication from the Argentina Football Federation. He said that it was the Kochi-based Reporter Broadcasting Company, which had an agreement with the Association and that it was for the company to confirm it. However, the company authorities were not available for comment as a phone call was abruptly ended with a curt message to “call tomorrow.”

Ahammed Salih of the Malappuram Argentina WhatsApp Koottayma said that the news has dealt a rude shock to lakhs of Argentina and Messi fans in Kerala. “We had mounted a flex welcoming our icon as soon as the Minister made the announcement. We strongly condemn the cancellation of the plan and will launch a social media protest against the Minister. We were planning to travel anywhere in Kerala where Messi and his team was to play,” he said.

During the announcement, Mr. Rahiman had said that the total expenses of around ₹100 crore would be met through sponsorship.