Why was Argentina’s friendly match led by Lionel Messi postponed?

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 played in FIFA’s next window for international matches, according to a social media post by Anto Augustine, director of Reporter Broadcasting Company, the sponsor of the friendly.

Anto wrote on Facebook that there was a delay in obtaining FIFA permission for the match. He said the decision was made after a meeting with the Argentine Football Association (AFA).

Ever since the friendly match of world champions Argentina was announced by the Kerala Sports Minister, there has been a lot of confusion about it. Even the minister himself had at one point said that the match had been cancelled, but in August, the AFA had confirmed that their team would play in Kochi.

However, recently there were media reports in Argentina that the match against India in November was unlikely to go ahead, and would not be possible until March 2026.

Published on October 25, 2025