Lionel Messi's Argentina To Miss Game In Kerala In 2026
Kerala football buffs will now have to wait to see their favourite player Lionel Messi and his World Cup-winning Argentine football team play on Kerala soil. It was in November last year Kerala Sports Minister V Abdurahiman and his team after huge efforts involving several rounds of discussions with Argentina Football Association (AFA) following a meeting held in Spain, it was announced that Messi and his team will play at least one international match in Kerala as part of their exhibition matches schedule.
But, with the schedule of Argentina for 2026 now out, Kerala is no where in the scheme of things as the South American nation is scheduled to play in China, Qatar and Africa.
Lionel Messi last played in India in 2011, when Argentina faced Venezuela in an international friendly at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata. Among the enthusiastic fans in attendance were several football lovers from Kerala, including the current CPI(M) General Secretary, M.A. Baby, who had come to cheer for Messi.
Interestingly, in the football-crazy districts of Malappuram and Kozhikode, the Argentina national team enjoys the largest support base—a trend that has continued for many years. This support reached new heights after Messi led Argentina to victory in the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Abdurahiman, a native of Malappuram, has been working tirelessly to bring Lionel Messi to play in Kerala. Last year, he led a delegation to Spain and announced that the much-anticipated event would take place in the last quarter of 2026. However, the hopes of both Abdurahiman and the Kerala government have been dashed, and the wait continues for football enthusiasts in the state.
More importantly, Kerala is set to go to the polls in April/May 2026 to elect a new government and the next edition of the FIFA World Cup is also scheduled to take place in 2026.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
2 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Apathy and anger cloud USA team a year out from World Cup
A run of four straight losses, including a 4-0 hammering from Switzerland on Wednesday, has left Mauricio Pochettino and his USA team feeling the wrath of critics a year out from the World Cup they will co-host. The USA head into their opening game of the CONCACAF Gold Cup against Trinidad and Tobago on Sunday having lost on home soil to Panama and Canada in the Nations League in March before friendly losses to Turkey and the debacle against the Swiss. "I think it is the most embarrassed I have been for the US national team in a long time," said Kasey Keller, who played in goal for the USA 102 times between 1990 and 2007. While there were plenty of American fans venting similar feelings on social media after the loss, what will perhaps be more concerning for the US Soccer Federation is supporters voting with their feet and not attending games. There were thousands of empty seats in Nashville for the Switzerland defeat after poor turn-outs for March's games in Los Angeles. "There's just a sense of apathy around the United States men's program and I don't think that's a hot take," former striker Taylor Twellman told NBC Sports. Alexi Lalas, a star of the USA team the last time they hosted a World Cup in 1994, has built a career in 'hot takes' for Fox Sports but even he was struggling to fire himself up for a Star Spangled rant after the latest disappointment. "I'm having a hard time even conjuring up that and that makes a little sad. In the past when I was angry at what was going on, I felt compelled to express it and now they are not even worth that, not worth me expressing how disappointing this is right now," he said on his podcast 'State of the Union'. Pochettino has been forced to field a largely second string squad in this month's games with the likes of Tim Weah and Weston McKennie on Club World Cup duty with Juventus while captain and talisman Christian Pulisic has opted to take some rest along with some other members of the first choice squad. That latter decision prompted fierce criticism from some ex-players, including Landon Donovan, the country's all-time joint top scorer who during commentary of Portugal's win in the UEFA Nations League hit out at the absentees. "[Ronaldo is] 40 years old. He's played a long-ass season. He's tired. He's out there grinding. Hurt himself in the process, and I can't help but think about some of our guys on vacation, not wanting to play in the Gold Cup. It's pissing me off," he said. That led to a sarcastic reply on social media from Pulisic's father Mark who posted a reminder of Donovan's own 'sabbatical' from the USA team. But there is also pressure mounting on Pochettino, the Argentine former Tottenham Hotspur manager, who was appointed to the USA role in September. The coach said he would take the blame for the showing against Switzerland where the USA were 4-0 down by half-time. "It's my responsibility the choice of the starting 11. I wanted to give minutes to certain players, but we were never in the game," the Argentine said. While Pochettino's job may be safe, some are wondering if he might not need some assistance. "It looks like he doesn't know the team, it looks like he doesn't scout the players, has no idea of the pieces he has at his disposal," said former USA forward Hercules Gomez on You Tube. "The US Soccer Federation, why not place somebody who has some experience with the player pool to help Pochettino out because it looks like he has no idea who his players are? With a World Cup on home soil that is a disaster," he added. The USA will co-host the World Cup with Mexico and Canada. sev/rcw
The Print
3 hours ago
- The Print
Restoration of Article 370, statehood to J&K necessary for peace in region: CPI-M
Addressing the convention, CPI(M) general secretary M A Baby said, 'CPI(M) has been firm that restoration of Article 370, statehood and other legitimate constitutional rights will pave the way for building confidence among the people of J&K, which is quite necessary for peace in the area.' He lauded the role of Kashmiris for holding spontaneous protests over the killings of tourists at Pahalgam on April 22. Srinagar, Jun 11 (PTI) The CPI(M) on Wednesday said restoration of Article 370 and statehood to Jammu and Kashmir will pave the way for building confidence among people of the Union Territory, asserting that it is 'necessary' for peace in the region. 'Unity among the people is necessary to thwart the forces of disharmony in the society,' Baby said. The CPI(M) general secretary said post Pahalgam attack, the party demanded for summoning of a special session of Parliament to discuss the situation arising after the Pahalgam terror attack, 'but the government seems to be reluctant to face the Opposition'. CPI(M) MP Amra Ram, while addressing the convention, said that the party 'vehemently favoured the restoration of unceremoniously snatched democratic rights of the people of J&K on August 5, 2019 even without consulting the stakeholders'. 'For the first time in the constitutional history of India, a state was bifurcated and downgraded into two separate Union territories which is against the democratic spirit and ethos of the country,' he said. MP Bikash Ranjan Battacharya said Kashmiryat is a symbol of unity and brotherhood which withstood its testimony during 1947 partition when whole of the sub-continent was engulfed in bloodshed. 'This unity needs to be strengthened in the larger interest of the people of J&K,' he said. Senior CPI(M) leader from J&K and Kulgam MLA, M Y Tarigami, said during the 'testing times' in the aftermath of August 5, 2019, the CPI(M) vehemently opposed the constitutional 'onslaught' of abrogation of Article 370 and downgrading of the state into two separate Union territories. 'It was a direct assault on the bond of J&K with the Union of India. This is the sole example in the country where the boundaries of the state were changed by imposing curfew, restrictions on media/press, and detaining of the political leadership and activists,' he said. He said the government of India must respect the mandate of J&K people and stick to its commitment given on the floor of the Parliament for restoration of full statehood. Meanwhile, a delegation of CPI(M) leaders, currently on a visit to J&K, called on National Conference president Farooq Abdullah at his residence. During the meeting, discussions were held on the prevailing situation in J&K, with both sides emphasizing the importance of peace, dialogue, and safeguarding the democratic and constitutional rights of the people, the NC said in a statement. The party said it was unanimously felt that the people aspired for lasting peace, dignity, and stability. PTI SSB KVK KVK KVK This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
The Hindu
3 hours ago
- The Hindu
Pooran appointed as MI New York skipper, Maxwell to lead Washington Freedom
Former West Indies batter Nicholas Pooran, who announced his retirement from all international formats on Tuesday, has been appointed as the captain of MI New York in the Major League Cricket (MLC), taking over from Kieron Pollard. Pooran surprised the world on Tuesday by announcing his retirement from international cricket at the age of 29. Since bursting onto the international scene in 2016, Pooran featured in 106 T20Is and 61 ODIs, garnering more than 4,258 runs across both formats. He mustered up 2,275 in the shortest format of cricket, averaging 26.14 at 136.39. While in the 50-over cricket, he tallied 1,983 runs at 39.66 while maintaining a strike rate of 99.15, laced with three centuries and 11 fifties. The official X handle of the franchise announced, '#NYC Fam, there's a new commander in town - Captain Nicholas Pooran! #OneFamily #MINewYork #MLC2025.' Pooran's association with the MI family goes a long way back, having been signed by MI in the Indian Premier League (IPL) during the 2017 edition, but did not get a game in the only season with them. He has also been with their team in International League T20 (ILT20), MI Emirates as well, as per ESPNCricinfo. In his debut season in MLC with the franchise, he made 388 runs in eight matches for the team at an average of 64.66, with a strike rate of 167.24. He has scored a century and two fifties, with his best score being 137*. He finished as the top run-getter in that title-winning season. He followed it with a 180 run season in seven matches, with a fifty. They made it to the semifinals last season. Also, Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell, who retired from ODI cricket as well recently to focus on international and franchise T20 cricket commitments, was appointed as the captain of Washington Freedom franchise, replacing Steve Smith, who won the title last season with head coach Ricky Ponting. Maxwell bowed out of the ODI format with 3,990 runs in 149 matches and 136 innings at an average of 33.81, with four centuries and 23 fifties, and 77 wickets along with two World Cup title wins in 2015 and 2023. 'Captain Maxwell is here to rewrite the script. Glenn Maxwell will lead the Freedom squad in Cognizant Major League Cricket 2025. Steve Smith will captain the side in the two games he plays during the season. #FreedomExpress #MLC2025,' announced the franchise on X. In his sole season with the franchise in 2024, he scored 153 runs in five innings at an average of 38.25, a strike rate of 164.51, with a fifty. He also took 10 wickets at an average of 17.00.
