Kerala submits confidential probe into proposed Lionel Messi, Argentina visit
The Kerala government received an inquiry report on Monday into the controversy surrounding a proposed visit by Lionel Messi and the Argentina national football team to the state, Sports Minister O J Janeesh said. The probe, carried out by the Special Secretary of the Sports Department, reviewed official records and its findings have been forwarded to the government for consideration.
The Special Secretary examined official files and records connected to the proposed visit before completing the investigation, Janeesh said. He described the report as confidential and declined to discuss its contents, stating: "The report has been submitted to the government in a highly confidential manner. I can divulge only this much at the moment. The government will take an appropriate decision on it and inform everyone," he said.
Janeesh said the inquiry was launched after persistent questions from the media and football supporters about why the high-profile proposal announced by the previous government did not materialise. "Football lovers had also demanded an inquiry. When we conducted necessary examinations, we felt that further investigation was required," he said. Officials also reviewed whether the procedures governing the entry of international teams or players into India were followed during the process.
Several media reports have suggested the inquiry raised serious concerns, including whether a definitive agreement existed for the Argentina team's proposed visit; Janeesh refused to confirm or deny those suggestions, including claims relating to financial aspects. He said the matter required consideration beyond the Sports Department, which is why the report was sent to the government for further examination.
The controversy began during the tenure of former Sports Minister V Abdurahiman, who publicly announced plans to host Messi and said he travelled to Spain and held talks with representatives of Argentine football authorities. A sponsor later claimed it had spent approximately Rs 126 crore in efforts to bring the team to Kerala. Abdurahiman told the Kerala Assembly last year that Messi would visit and said the proposal had received approvals from the Union Sports Ministry and the Reserve Bank of India; "Therefore, the claim that the Sports Department was unaware of the proceedings is completely false," Abdurahiman said.
Abdurahiman rejected allegations of wrongdoing and provided a detailed defence, saying the Kerala government did not incur any financial loss and "not a single rupee of public money was lost." He said the agreement was between the Argentina Football Association (AFA) and a private sponsor, that the sponsor had obtained RBI approval to transfer the payment to the AFA and that the payment was made through a public sector bank. He added that approvals required from Union ministries could only follow an application by the Secretary of Kerala's Sports Department, that two organisations initially approached the government with proposals, the first sponsor failed to meet conditions and Reporter Broadcasting Company entered into an agreement with the AFA.
Janeesh framed the issue within broader sporting goals, saying the government's objective was to invest in football development and nurture young talent to create "many Messis" in Kerala. Political reactions have varied: the Youth League, the youth wing of the Indian Union Muslim League, called for a central agency investigation, while CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan dismissed the possibility of irregularities and said there was no scope for wrongdoing. Messi visited Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai and Delhi last year during his tour of India.
The government will now examine the confidential findings and decide on further action, Janeesh said, after which it will communicate its decision to the public.
