/sky247-english/media/agency_attachments/u8Dd4hyaH0mQGXmyg0Eo.png)
Follow Us/sky247-english/media/post_banners/nF4ASpubX7QkoLfzutgb.jpg)
India missed out on chance to play Argentina (Source: Twitter)
The Argentine football squad led by Lionel Messi requested a friendly match with India's All India Football Federation (AIFF). During the current international window, the Argentine Football Association has two spots open for friendly. Messi's Argentina, who won the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar, has strong popularity in Asia and was willing to play India. However, the Indian organisation had to decline the request from the Argentine FA due to the AIFF's financial restrictions.
/sky247-english/media/media_files/2025/09/01/file_247_domain_blockage_1920x500px_cta-2025-09-01-21-55-04.webp)
Instead, Argentina played a friendly against Australiain Beijing in front of a packed house of 55,000 spectators, winning 2-0. Messi scored the goal with the fastest time of his career. Argentina defeated Indonesia 2-0 in their second friendly on Sunday. The proposal for a friendly from the World Cup champions was received by AIFF, according to the secretary general of AIFF, Dr. Shaji Prabhakaran.
‘The kind of money that Argentina command is huge and we have limitations’ - Prabhakaran
“The Argentina FA reached out to us for a friendly, but it was just not possible to arrange such huge sum," Prabhakaran was quoted as saying by TOI. The AIFF secretary revealed further, “For such a match to happen here, we need the backing of a strong partner. The kind of money that Argentina command is huge and we have limitations in terms of our economic situation in football."
Argentina's evident Lionel Messi factor made them one of the most sought-after teams in the world when they won the World Cup in 2022. According to the same report, Messi's team would have demanded a stunning $4–$5 million (about Rs. 32–40 crore) in appearance fees. Argentina apparently had two friendly scheduled for June, one in Bangladesh and the other in India, but neither country was able to raise the money, especially so quickly. As a result, Argentina played Australia and Indonesia.
The Argentine team had the opportunity to play in the United States after Messi joined Inter Miami, but they decided to move to Asia to broaden their appeal internationally. According to Prabhakaran, there would have been a significant "mismatch" if Argentina and India had played each other given that Argentina is currently ranked first and India is currently rated 101st in the FIFA rankings. The Indian football team has won the Intercontinental Cup, and they will play Pakistan on June 21 to open their SAFF Championship 2023 campaign.