A Malayali entrusted with creating legacy out of Messi’s GOAT India Tour

In the coming weeks, Kerala will be served a bitter reminder of the opportunity it missed to see Lionel Messi when four Indian cities host the G.O.A.T India Tour 2025, but the state could find solace in knowing that one of their own plays a significant role in the mega event.

Malayali football administrator Shaji Prabhakaran has been appointed as the Chief Advisor of the G.O.A.T India Tour, which will take Messi to Kolkata, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Delhi between December 13 and 15, with 7vs7 celebrity football matches and other activities proposed.

"He (Messi) is like a dream," Shaji told Onmanorama, cutting loose the fanboy in him. But Shaji's excitement is quite natural when celebrity cricketers and movie stars seem equally pumped up to meet the Argentine superstar, widely regarded as the greatest footballer of all time.

Shaji, a native of Mavelikkara in Alappuzha district, had his early footballing education in West Bengal, where he grew up. After playing district leagues and at the university level, Shaji dribbled his way into football management, a journey that gave him opportunities with FIFA as the global football body's Regional Development Officer of South Central Asia region and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) as an Executive Committee Member.

Beyond the natural excitement generated by the Messi visit, Shaji sees a larger scope. "For me, it is about creating a lasting legacy. I see the Messi visit as a project. My role as the chief advisor involves a lot of strategic aspects, to get the best out of the event for India by creating some value from the Messi visit," Shaji said.

Shaji was part of the management and operations of two Under-17 World Cups held in the country. As a former General Secretary of the All India Football Federation, he believes the timing of the Messi visit couldn't be more appropriate. "Indian football is going through a difficult phase, so when Messi comes here now, it is like God is directly intervening to make a positive impact."

Indian football has come to a grinding halt due to the non-start of the Indian Super League (ISL) that stemmed from a dispute between AIFF and its commercial partner. Even ministerial-level meetings have not yielded results, and the matter remains before the Supreme Court. While the bigger problem is yet to be sorted, Shaji believes the Messi visit will trigger a positive outcome. "Indian football will be in focus. With Messi meeting the Prime Minister and with the involvement of a lot of politicians, industrialists and other inspiring figures, the event will spark a lot of discussions. So I believe the event will act as a trigger for a life-changing moment in Indian football," Shaji said.

Kerala had made an ambitious attempt to land Messi and his World Cup-winning Argentine squad for a friendly football match in Kochi in November. The state's Sports Minister, V Abdurahiman, had repeatedly claimed that Messi's Argentina will play the friendly at the Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium at Kaloor in Kochi on November 17. But the match did not take place as FIFA reportedly did not find the venue suitable to host an international fixture.