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New Delhi: Indian football fans in Kerala who are hoping to catch a glimpse of Lionel Messi's will have to wait a little longer as State Sports Minister V Abdurahiman confirmed on Monday that the Argentina national football team. Now as per the update the world-cup winning captain will not be Kerala as previously planned.
Earlier, the minister had claimed that the Messi-led Argentina team would visit the state as announced by the government and that the sponsor had already covered the match fee for the event.
While addressing reporters on Monday, he told reporters that the foreign team informed that they were facing difficulties in scheduling the tour in October this year but the sponsor responded that "we are interested in a visit in the month of October." Despite earlier talk of a possible visit in October or November, the plan has now been shelved.
If everything goes according to the plan, football fans will get a glimpse of the Argentine star after a decade. According to sources, Messi will touch in the city on December 12 and his two day stop in Kolkata will be the longest on his Indian tour. On December 13, he will kick off his day with a meet and greet and then unveil a massive 70-foot statue of himself at Lake Town Sribhumi.
Later, Eden Gardens will host the GOAT Concert and GOAT Cup where Messi is expected to take part in a celebrity football match alongside Indian sports and films stars like Sourav Ganguly, Leander Paes, John Abraham and Bhaichung Bhutia. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is likely to felicitate him at the event which will be ticketed with prices starting from ₹3,500.
Following Kolkata, Messi is expected to attend private events in Ahmedabad including one hosted by the Adani Foundation. In Mumbai on December 14, he will interact with Indian footballers including Suni Chhetri and attend another GOAT Cup event at Wankhede Stadium.
The tour will wrap in New Delhi on December 15 with a high-profile meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a final GOAT Cup appearance. Messi will also hold youth masterclasses in every city to inspire budding Indian footballers.
