Messi confirms India visit, Kerala appearance yet to be decided

India is a very special country, and I have good memories from my time there 14 years ago

Last updated: October 02, 2025 | 14:31

Devadasan K P, Chief Visual Editor

2 MIN READ

Messi confirms India visit, Kerala appearance yet to be decided

IANS

Dubai: Lionel Messi is set to return to India after 14 years, this time for the much-awaited “GOAT Tour of India 2025,” scheduled from December 13 to 15. The Argentine legend expressed excitement ahead of the trip, recalling fond memories of his last visit in 2011, when Argentina played a FIFA friendly against Venezuela at Kolkata’s Salt Lake Stadium.

“India is a very special country, and I have good memories from my time there 14 years ago,” Messi said. “The fans were fantastic. I look forward to meeting a new generation of supporters and sharing my love for this beautiful game.”

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The three-day tour will see Messi making public appearances and joining football-themed celebrations across Kolkata, Mumbai, and New Delhi, with a fourth city to be announced. Highlights include stadium events at Salt Lake Stadium, Wankhede Stadium, and Arun Jaitley Stadium, as well as the unveiling of a statue in Kolkata and the launch of a new charitable initiative.

Messi is also expected to interact with leading sports personalities, entertainers, and state dignitaries, thereby further deepening India’s ties with the world of football.

However, while his tour is confirmed, questions remain about whether Messi will play in Argentina’s friendly scheduled in Kerala this November. The fixture is part of three international matches planned during the FIFA window, with the other two set for Luanda, Angola.

With Messi returning to Kolkata, Mumbai, Delhi, and Argentina set to feature in Kerala, Indian fans are bracing for a historic football season.

With inputs from IANS

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Devadasan K PChief Visual Editor

Devadasan K P is the Chief Visual Editor at Gulf News, bringing more than 26 years of experience in photojournalism to the role. He leads the Visual desk with precision, speed, and a strong editorial instinct. Whether he’s selecting images of royalty, chasing the biggest celebrity moments in Dubai, or covering live events himself, Devadasan is always a few steps ahead of the action. Over the years, he has covered a wide range of major assignments — including the 2004 tsunami in Sri Lanka, the 2005 Kashmir earthquake, feature reportage from Afghanistan, the IMF World Bank meetings, and wildlife series from Kenya. His work has been widely recognised with industry accolades, including the Minolta Photojournalist of the Year award in 2005, the Best Picture Award at the Dubai Shopping Festival in 2008, and a Silver Award from the Society for News Design in 2011. He handles the newsroom pressure with a calm attitude, a quick response time, and his signature brand of good-natured Malayali humour. There's no fuss — just someone who gets the job done very well, every single time.

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