Kerala mulls multi-agency probe into failed Messi match deal

The Kerala government is considering a multi-agency investigation into the previous LDF government's failed attempt to bring Lionel Messi's Argentina football team to Kochi. Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan said on August 14 that a Sports Department inquiry report contained "very serious allegations" of financial irregularities and procedural violations.

The report flagged alleged irregularities running into crores of rupees. Sponsor Reporter Broadcasting Company (RBC) claimed it paid $15 million (₹126 crore) to the Argentina Football Association (AFA), but the inquiry found no documentary evidence of the remittance. No formal agreement existed between the state government and the AFA or the sponsor. Gold and Global, the firm that first proposed the visit, had been registered days earlier with capital of only ₹1 lakh and shared RBC's address.

RBC signed an agreement with the AFA on December 20, 2024, four days before the Sports Department issued an order initiating the process. The state committed to providing security without formal approval. The inquiry also found emails from former minister V. Abdurahiman's official account missing from government files. The government is now weighing a probe by competent investigative agencies.