Thiruvananthapuram, May 16 : Kerala football buffs will now have to wait to see their favourite player Lionel Messi and his World Cup-winning Argentine football team play on Kerala soil. 

It was in November last year Kerala Sports Minister V Abdurahiman and his team after huge efforts involving several rounds of discussions with Argentina Football Association (AFA) following a meeting held in Spain, it was announced that Messi and his team will play at least one international match in Kerala as part of their exhibition matches schedule. But, with the schedule of Argentina for 2026 now out, Kerala is no where in the scheme of things as the South American nation is scheduled to play in China, Qatar and Africa.

Lionel Messi last played in India in 2011, when Argentina faced Venezuela in an international friendly at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata. Among the enthusiastic fans in attendance were several football lovers from Kerala, including the current CPI(M) General Secretary, M.A. Baby, who had come to cheer for Messi.

Interestingly, in the football-crazy districts of Malappuram and Kozhikode, the Argentina national team enjoys the largest support base'a trend that has continued for many years. This support reached new heights after Messi led Argentina to victory in the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

Abdurahiman, a native of Malappuram, has been working tirelessly to bring Lionel Messi to play in Kerala. Last year, he led a delegation to Spain and announced that the much-anticipated event would take place in the last quarter of 2026. However, the hopes of both Abdurahiman and the Kerala government have been dashed, and the wait continues for football enthusiasts in the state.

More importantly, Kerala is set to go to the polls in April/May 2026 to elect a new government and the next edition of the FIFA World Cup is also scheduled to take place in 2026.

/IANS