‘Kerala govt breached contract,’ claims AFA official after Messi visit falls through
AFA’s Chief Commercial and Marketing Officer Leandro Petersen has refuted claims of the Kerala government and its partner that the football body deceived them by promising to bring Lionel Messi to the state this year.
AFA’s Chief Commercial and Marketing Officer Leandro Petersen has refuted claims of the Kerala government and its partner that the football body deceived them by promising to bring Lionel Messi to the state this year.
AFA’s Chief Commercial and Marketing Officer Leandro Petersen has refuted claims of the Kerala government and its partner that the football body deceived them by promising to bring Lionel Messi to the state this year.
A representative of the Argentine Football Association (AFA) has accused the Kerala government of not honouring an alleged agreement they had in connection with Lionel Messi-led Argentina team's proposed visit to the state.
Leandro Petersen, Chief Commercial and Marketing Officer of AFA, has shifted the blame to the state government after it emerged that Messi and Argentina won't be visiting Kerala this year to play two friendlies, contrary to repeated claims by Sports Minister V Abdurahiman.
"Not true, no way," Petersen said in response to an allegation that the AFA had agreed to send the World Cup winners to Kerala in October 2025. "The one who did not fulfil the agreement was the Kerala government. It breached the contract," Petersen told Onmanorama.
He refused to explain how the state government or its partners failed to honour the agreement. Anto Augustine, Managing Director of Reporter Broadcasting Company, which was entrusted to organise the Messi visit, accused the AFA of accepting ₹130 crore (approximately $14.8 million).
In a recent interview with Mundo Albiceleste, Petersen said the AFA had plans to visit India, Bangladesh and countries in Africa in the 'medium term', but said it might not be possible in the immediate future.
"I don’t know if it will be in the short term, because our calendar is very complicated," Petersen said.
Messi, one of the all-time greats, guided Argentina to their third World Cup title in 2022 in Qatar. Argentina and Brazil are two of the most popular national teams in Kerala.
Last September, Minister Abdurahiman caused a wave of excitement among football fans in Kerala when he declared the Messi visit by posing for photographs alongside Petersen and representatives of the AFA. The minister constantly claimed that the visit would happen. But this week, he confirmed that the deal was off.