Here's Everything To Know About Lionel Messi's Visit To India In 2025
Messi is not the only one coming...
Fourteen years after he first set foot on Indian soil, Lionel Messi is doing it again.
This November, the man, the myth, the GOAT, will lead his reigning world champion Argentina squad to Kerala for an international football friendly. It’s official. The Argentine Football Association dropped the announcement Friday, confirming that Messi & Co. will play one of their FIFA international window matches in India—Kerala, to be specific.
Opponent? That's not declared yet. City? Still under wraps. But the buzz? Palpable.
The last time Messi played in India, he was 24, fresh off another standout season with FC Barcelona, and still viewed as a generational talent waiting for his crowning moment on the world stage. The match, a 1-0 win over Venezuela at Kolkata’s Salt Lake Stadium drew over 85,000 fans and remains one of the most talked-about football events in Indian memory.
This time, the vibes are different. Now 38, Messi is arriving as a World Cup winner (Qatar 2022), two-time Copa América champion, and the undisputed icon of his generation with the Argentina team. According to the AFA, Argentina’s remaining 2025 schedule has them playing three friendlies: two in Angola, one in India. All part of the November FIFA window.
“The first, in October, from the 6th to the 14th, will be played in the United States (opponents and cities to be determined). The second, from the 10th to the 18th of November, will be played in Luanda, Angola, and Kerala, India (opponents to be determined),” the announcement said.
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Kochi’s Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, the biggest football arena in southern India and a long-time stronghold of the sport in the region is a likely venue for the upcoming match. If you know Indian football, you know Kerala doesn't mess around.
So, mark you calendars guys, the dates are said to be between November 10-18.
Wait, that doesn't end there for Indian fans of football.
Messi might be back again in December for what’s being called the GOAT Tour of India 2025. A multi-city promotional whirlwind with stops reportedly in Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, and New Delhi. Think less “matchday magic,” more “brand Messiah.”
For Indian fans who grew up watching grainy streams of El Clásico or YouTube compilations of La Pulga humiliating defenders twice his size, this is kinda full circle.
Messi’s not here to prove anything, of course. He’s done it all. Olympic gold in 2008, Copa titles, that World Cup in 2022, and a near-mythical status that no Ballon d’Or count can quite encapsulate. But surely, it does mean a lot to India and the football scene in the country.