Kerala Sports Minister lied. Govt spent ₹13 lakh on Spain trip to arrange Messi’s visit

Kerala's Sports Minister V Abdurahiman has landed in a soup in connection with a much-publicised visit of Lionel Messi and his World Cup-winning Argentina football team.

The minister's repeated claims that there was no financial burden on the state in connection with Messi's proposed visit have been proven wrong by an RTI response from the Department of Sports & Youth Affairs.

It has emerged that the state spent ₹13,04,434 (₹13.04 lakh) to fund the minister's visit to Spain last year to meet representatives of the Argentina Football Association (AFA).

According to the RTI response, the amount was disbursed from the Sports Development Fund (plan). The Director and Secretary of the Department of Sports & Youth Affairs accompanied the minister.

The Kerala contingent visited Spain last September. The minister shared photographs from the meeting on his social media handles. The AFA delegation that was seen in the pictures comprised the association's Chief Commercial & Marketing Officer, Leandro Petersen.

The minister had said that the visit of Argentina and Messi was fully sponsored. Anto Augustine, Managing Director of Reporter Broadcasting Company, which was entrusted with reaching an agreement, accused the AFA of not honouring its word.

He claimed that the AFA accepted a payment of ₹130 crore from him on June 6, 2025, promising to send the Argentina squad for two friendlies in Kerala in October this year.

Messi is regarded as an all-time great. He led Argentina to their third FIFA World Cup title in Qatar in 2022, defeating France in penalties.