New Delhi [India], October 26 (ANI): Argentina's World Cup-winning icon Lionel Messi's trip to Kerala for a friendly match has been postponed, sponsors announced on Saturday.

Argentina was supposed to play a friendly match against the Australian men's football team at Kochi's Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium on November 17, and the Argentina Football Association (AFA) had conducted an inspection of the venue back in September, as per Olympics.com.

Also Read | New Zealand vs England Free Live Streaming Online, 1st ODI 2025: How To Watch NZ vs ENG Cricket Match Live Telecast on TV in India?.

The Kerala visit was part of the team's provisional itinerary for friendly matches scheduled for this year's FIFA International Window in November.

According to the sponsors, there was a delay in receiving FIFA's permission, and they added that the match would be rescheduled to the next international window. No dates have been announced as of yet.

Also Read | India Women vs Bangladesh Women Best Fantasy Playing XI Prediction for ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025 Match 28 and Who Will Win IND-W vs BAN-W?.

Messi's last visit with the Argentina team to India came back in 2011, when they faced Venezuela in a friendly match at Kolkata's iconic Salt Lake Stadium.

However, he will visit India for an individual tour, the event titled 'GOAT India Tour 2025' will cover Kolkata (Eden Gardens on December 13), Mumbai (Wankhede Stadium on December 14) and Delhi (Arun Jaitley Stadium).

Messi, now 38, is an Olympic gold medalist, a FIFA World Cup 2022 winner, and a two-time Copa America champion. At club level, he is best known for his association with Barcelona from 2004-21, after which he represented Paris Saint-Germain. He is currently representing Inter Miami in the USA as part of Major League Soccer (MLS). (ANI)

(The above story is verified and authored by ANI staff, ANI is South Asia's leading multimedia news agency with over 100 bureaus in India, South Asia and across the globe. ANI brings the latest news on Politics and Current Affairs in India & around the World, Sports, Health, Fitness, Entertainment, & News. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)