Lionel Messi’s Argentina will not play in India next month. The match, which was scheduled for November 17 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here, 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.
Anto wrote on Facebook that there was a delay in getting the permission from FIFA 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.
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.
Published on Oct 25, 2025