Lionel Messi, arguably the best player of all time, could have toured India for a friendly match but the All India Football Federation (AIFF) has not accepted the proposal of the Argentine Football Association. Messi fans in India will be devastated by the news as AIFF general secretary Shaji Prabhakaran explained that the Indian body did not have the necessary finances to make the move possible.
Prabhakaran said, “The Argentine FA approached us for a friendship, but it was not possible to arrange such a huge amount.” (Real Madrid star Thibaut leaves Belgium camp after reports of captaincy dispute)
He further revealed, “For such a match to happen here, we need the support of a strong partner. The kind of money that Argentina has is huge and we have our limits in terms of our economic situation in football.”
India and AIFF have turned down the chance to host Argentina for a friendly match this month because of the high cost of hosting them!
The World Champions have become the most sought after team, with Messi’s team asking for a fee of around Rs 32 to 40 crores! pic.twitter.com/7vqZZXkYsG– IFTWC – Indian Football (@IFTWC) June 20, 2023
Prabhakaran also said that a clash between India and Argentina would have been incredibly lopsided considering the rankings of both the teams.
Prabhakaran said, “If India had played (Argentina) there would have been a lot of mismatch.”
Argentina finally played a friendly against Australia in China recently. Now, they will also face Indonesia in a friendly match in Jakarta but Messi is likely to miss that match. Messi has scored 17 goals for Argentina this season while also winning the World Cup title. He was adjudged the best player in the mega event held in Qatar last year. He is set to join MLS side Inter Miami soon.
Most recently, Lionel Messi continued to shine in the national colors as his special goal saw Argentina beat Australia in a friendly clash in Beijing, China. Messi scored in just the second minute of the match, which is now his fastest goal in international matches.