Kerala Sports Minister V Abdurahiman has made serious allegations against the Argentina national football team, claiming the side failed to honour a commitment to visit Kerala despite receiving a substantial payment.Speaking on Thursday, the minister expressed strong disappointment, saying extensive efforts had gone into planning a potential visit by the Argentine team, including global icon Lionel Messi. He revealed that multiple rounds of discussions were held to make the event possible.
“For that, I had held several discussions. It was also not an easy task to find sponsors to arrange the Rs 250 crore to be paid to the international football team,” Abdurahiman said.He then levelled a direct accusation, adding, “But, after receiving the money, the Argentine football team cheated us. We did not expect such a betrayal from them. Not coming after promising to do so.”The minister further claimed that Kerala may not be the only party affected. According to him, inquiries suggested that similar situations had occurred elsewhere.“They took money from those countries, but never went there to play. It is a situation where a case will have to be filed against the Argentine football team, and they will have to pay us compensation,” he said.Abdurahiman also spoke about his personal disappointment over the development, noting the excitement that had built up among fans in the state.“It has disappointed the football lovers in Kerala. I don’t know to whom I will tell my disappointment,” he added.The visit had earlier been projected as a major sporting event, with the minister stating in November that Argentina and Messi were expected to arrive in Kerala in March this year. The development now casts uncertainty over those plans.Amid the controversy, Abdurahiman also addressed his political move ahead of the upcoming elections. He confirmed his decision to contest from the Tirur assembly constituency instead of Tanur, a seat he has previously won twice. He maintained that the shift was not driven by electoral calculations but by a desire to represent his native region, which he said requires greater development.The Kerala Assembly elections are scheduled to be held on April 9, adding a political dimension to an issue that has already sparked strong reactions among football fans in the state.