Messi never came. Kerala is still playing his match

Kerala has an unusual relationship with Lionel Messi. After the 2022 World Cup, Argentina’s blue-and-white colours became almost a second flag across the state.

So when the Pinarayi Vijayan-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) government promised to bring Argentina’s world champions to Kerala, it was not merely announcing a friendly match. It was selling a dream to millions of football supporters.

Then sports minister V. Abdurahiman became the promise’s most enthusiastic salesman. He announced Argentina’s proposed visit in July 2023 and repeatedly reassured supporters that the match would take place.

In June 2025 came his famous declaration: “Messi varum tta” — Messi will come.

Messi never came. The dream instead became a story in which football, politics, private enterprise and finance collided.

The new United Democratic Front (UDF) government led by V.D. Satheesan is now examining the episode after a sports department inquiry uncovered serious procedural and financial lapses.

The questions are fundamental. Why was the Argentina project pursued without firm confirmation from the Argentine Football Association (AFA)? Why was a private company brought into a government-promoted event? And on what basis was that company selected?

Reporter Broadcasting Company, which operates the Malayalam news channel Reporter TV, became the commercial face of the proposed spectacle, with its managing director, Anto Augustine, at its centre.

The choice was particularly contentious because Augustine and his brothers have been linked to several controversies.

They are accused in the Muttil tree-felling case in Wayanad, involving the alleged illegal felling of protected rosewood trees. The case remains before the courts, and the brothers are currently on bail.

Anto and his brother Josekutty were also arrested in 2016 over allegations connected to the Mango Phone venture, which had promoted low-cost, China-made devices as an alternative to the iPhone. That case also remains pending.

The brothers have denied wrongdoing, and the allegations against them remain subject to judicial proceedings. The question, however, is why a businessman facing such controversies was entrusted with an event estimated to cost Rs 210 crore.

The inquiry found that the initial proposal came from Goat and Global, a company incorporated only weeks earlier. It had paid-up capital of Rs 1 lakh and shared an address with Reporter. The sponsor was selected without an open tender or an expression of interest, after which the government became more deeply involved in the project.

Abdurahiman and other officials travelled to Spain at a cost of Rs 13.04 lakh. Investigators, however, found no clear record of a formal invitation from the AFA or an agreement between the association and the Kerala government.

Football then became a financial investigation.

Reporter entered into an agreement with the AFA and said it had remitted approximately $14.5 million to Tour Prod Enter LLC, an authorised collection agent for the association.

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) traced payments totalling Rs 126.04 crore, made in two instalments. Its report alleges tax evasion of Rs 25.78 crore, including Rs 22.68 crore in Integrated Goods and Services Tax payable under the reverse charge mechanism.

The investigation also identified six previously undisclosed bank accounts. Seven accounts recorded transactions exceeding Rs 1,098 crore, of which Rs 234.31 crore could not be reconciled with turnover declared for GST purposes. Investigators flagged this amount as suspected suppressed turnover.

Borrowings of approximately Rs 213 crore by Reporter have also come under scrutiny.

Even Kochi’s Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium became part of the mystery. Renovation for the proposed match was estimated to cost around ₹8 crore, but the sponsor claimed to have spent Rs 70 crore. The stadium was prepared for a spectacle that never took place.

Sports minister O.J. Jeneesh has indicated that the new government intends to pursue the matter.

“The violations must be brought to light, and those responsible will have to pay the price,” he said.

The cancelled Messi match shows how quickly political enthusiasm can outrun procedure. A government promise became a private commercial venture before the sporting commitment was secured. A businessman facing multiple controversies was placed at its centre, while a substantial sum crossed international borders before the proposed spectacle materialised.

Messi never played in Kochi. His absence has left Kerala with a more consequential match: a government seeking to establish who authorised the project, why procedures were bypassed and who benefited before the first whistle could be blown.