The Story So Far: The saga began in November 2024, when Kerala Sports Minister V. Abdurahiman electrified the state’s ardent football fans – renowned for their fervent loyalty to Latin American giants like Argentina and Brazil – with the announcement that Lionel Messi and the World Cup-winning Argentine team would grace Kerala with their presence in 2025. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan further amplified these hopes, posting on X that “Kerala is set to make history as FIFA World Cup Champions Argentina are expected to visit next year.”
What ensued was a tumultuous journey of dashed hopes. The much-anticipated tour, reportedly backed by Reporter Broadcasting Corporation (RBC), was repeatedly announced and then rescinded between May and October of this year. In September, the Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium in Kaloor, Kochi – a facility owned by the Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA) – was declared the venue for an international friendly between Argentina and Australia, slated for November 17th. Even Hector Daniel Cabrera, the Argentina Football Association’s (AFA) venue manager, conducted an inspection. Yet, the fixture has now been unequivocally cancelled, as neither AFA nor Australia Football (AF) included Kochi in their final November schedules. This turn of events has sparked a major controversy, with the Opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) alleging the Kerala government’s involvement in a ‘dubious business deal’ designed to facilitate a private company’s takeover of the state’s premier international stadium.
The Confusing Back-and-Forth: The initial confusion surrounding the tour began in May when the AFA’s itinerary surprisingly omitted India entirely. Minister Abdurahiman initially urged RBC to clarify this exclusion. In June, public excitement surged again with his Facebook post proclaiming, “Messi is coming!” – a statement he controversially withdrew by August. On this occasion, he pointed fingers at the AFA, claiming they had breached their commitment to visit Kerala in October despite receiving payment.
Following this, RBC Managing Director Anto Augustine asserted in a press conference that the AFA had not formally cancelled the October-November tour window. He even threatened legal action against the AFA for an alleged breach of contract, stating that RBC had already invested ₹130 crore for a tour encompassing two matches and a fan interaction. Bizarrely, Minister Abdurahiman once more changed his tune in August, publicly confirming Argentina’s November visit to Kerala and even presenting a screenshot of the AFA’s international friendly schedule.
When Doubts Surfaced: Serious doubts about Messi’s visit began to circulate in mid-October after Argentine journalist Gastón Edul, known for his close ties to Messi, announced on X that the India tour was off. Despite this, Augustine insisted the tour was still active, stating that RBC was investing ₹70 crore into renovating the Kochi stadium to meet FIFA’s stringent standards. However, on October 25th, when both the AFA and Australia published their definitive November match schedules, with no mention of Kochi, Augustine finally conceded that the November 17th match was cancelled. He attributed this to the stadium’s inability to secure FIFA approval in time, yet optimistically suggested a rescheduling during FIFA’s March window, for which an application was supposedly already filed.
Opposition Unleashes Accusations: Ernakulam MP Hibi Eden vehemently condemned the entire affair as a ‘shady business deal’ veiled under the guise of a sporting event, openly questioning the involvement of both the Chief Minister and the Sports Minister. He formally addressed GCDA chairperson K. Chandran Pillai, presenting eight pointed questions regarding the alleged irregular handover of the stadium to a private firm for renovations. He also demanded access to any signed agreements related to this arrangement. The UDF district leadership escalated their protests, calling for Mr. Pillai’s immediate resignation.
In response to these allegations, the GCDA clarified that the stadium had been transferred to the Sports Kerala Foundation (SKF) – a non-profit entity under the Department of Sports and Youth Affairs – for the period from September 26th to November 30th. SKF subsequently entrusted the stadium to RBC for the renovation work. To oversee these efforts, two committees were established, comprising representatives from SKF, GCDA, and RBC, tasked with approving, quantifying, and monitoring the renovations. However, despite persistent public and political demands, the agreement between SKF and RBC remains undisclosed.
Uncertainty Lingers: While RBC claims renovations will conclude and the stadium will be returned to GCDA by November 30th, significant concerns remain regarding its readiness for the Indian Super League (ISL) matches, which are scheduled to commence in December. The Kochi stadium is, after all, the home ground for the popular ISL team, Kerala Blasters.
Crucially, questions continue to swirl around the legitimacy of transferring a vital public asset, such as an international stadium, to a private company without adhering to proper due diligence and transparent procedures.