World champions Argentina, captained by football icon Lionel Messi, will arrive in Kochi on November 14 for a highly anticipated tour in Kerala. The team is scheduled to play a friendly exhibition match against Australia on November 17 at the Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium in Kaloor.

Ticket and event details

Ticket sales for the match will commence on October 15. Anto Augustine, managing director of Reporter Broadcasting Company, the official sponsor, stated, “Ticket rates are being finalised and will be announced soon.”

Additionally, plans for a road show in Kozhikode and fan meet events in Kochi are being considered, subject to official confirmation.

Stadium upgrades

Renovation work is underway to elevate the Kaloor stadium to international standards, with completion expected before the match.

The Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA), which manages the venue, aims to utilise the stadium’s full seating capacity of approximately 60,000 spectators, a significant increase from the 35,000-40,000 capacity used during Indian Super League matches.

The Argentina tour was initiated by the state sports department following discussions led by Minister V Abdurahiman last year. An official announcement regarding the event is expected from the chief minister within the next two days, stated The New Indian Express report.