Messi row: ‘We breached no contract,’ Kerala sports minister downplays role of AFA’s Petersen

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Sports Minister V Abdurahiman has said that Leandro Petersen, Chief Commercial and Marketing Officer of the Argentine Football Association (AFA), was “merely a marketing executive” and not responsible for signing the now-collapsed deal for Lionel Messi-led Argentina to play in Kerala. The Minister added that the government did not breach any contract and that Petersen had no right to reveal any details of the agreement.

“Petersen is an important official of the AFA, but only in marketing. The agreement was signed by the AFA president. The sponsor later told us they could not come in the October–November window. They said they might come before 2026, before the next World Cup. But there is no guarantee this government or sports minister will still be in office then, and the sponsor was not interested in that scenario,” Abdurahiman said.

Responding to criticism over the foreign trips made by the minister, he said Kerala has tie-ups with several nations, including Spain, Australia, and Cuba, as part of building a sports economy. "The Central government has agreed to our sports policy. The visits included several officials, not just the sports minister. The ₹13 lakh covers expenses for the entire team. Why are you not questioning the Prime Minister for his trips?” he asked.

The remarks came after Petersen told Onmanorama that Kerala government did not fulfil the agreement and breached the contract. In a separate interview with Mundo Albiceleste, Petersen said the AFA still plans to visit India, Bangladesh, and some African countries “in the medium term,” but not immediately due to a “very complicated” calendar.

Anto Augustine, MD of Reporter Broadcasting Company, entrusted with organising the visit,  has accused the AFA of accepting ₹130 crore (about $14.8 million).

Messi, who led Argentina to their third World Cup title in 2022, remains hugely popular in Kerala. Last September, Abdurahiman posed for photos with Petersen and AFA representatives, declaring that the team would play in the state, a claim he continued to repeat until this week, when he confirmed the deal was off.