After more than ten years, the international football sensation Lionel Messi and the Argentina football team are anticipated to play in India.

If Messi is part of Argentina’s plan, he and the visiting Argentina national football team are anticipated to play a friendly match in the state of Kerala.

Lionel Messi and the Argentina football team will play an international friendly in Kerala in 2025, Kerala Sports Minister V Abdurahiman revealed Wednesday.

The sports minister affirmed at a news conference in Thiruvananthapuram that the Kerala state government will provide full oversight and assistance for the international friendly match. The sports minister said, “The state merchants will provide all the financial assistance for organizing this high-profile football event.”

Argentina’s international friendly match versus Venezuela at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan Stadium in Kolkata in 2011 was Messi’s last game in India.

Nicolas Otamendi scored the game’s only goal in the 70th minute, and the game drew almost 70,000 spectators. Argentina defeated Venezuela 1-0.

In India, Lionel Messi has a sizable fan base, and some of his most ardent supporters are in Kerala.

Messi now plays Major League Soccer (MLS) with Inter Miami.