Kerala Sports Minister V Abdurahiman announced on Wednesday that the Argentina football team, including the legendary Lionel Messi, will visit Kerala next year for an international match. The match will be organized under the full supervision of the state government, and all the financial support for the event will come from the state’s merchants. The minister expressed confidence in Kerala’s ability to host such a high-profile football event.

This exciting news comes at a time when Argentina is performing exceptionally well in South American World Cup qualifying matches. On Tuesday, Argentina defeated Peru 1-0 in a hard-fought match. Lautaro Martinez’s spectacular volley was the only goal of the game, securing Argentina’s victory. The match was part of the qualification campaign for the 2026 World Cup, and the goal helped Argentina maintain their top position in the CONMEBOL standings.

Despite not having their best performance, Argentina managed to get the win thanks to a moment of brilliance from Martinez. The goal came after a cross from Lionel Messi, which Martinez expertly converted with a powerful left-footed volley that left the Peruvian goalkeeper, Pedro Gallese, with no chance. This win marked Argentina's eighth victory in 12 games, keeping them in first place in the qualification table with 25 points, five points ahead of Uruguay, who is in second place.

Meanwhile, Brazil, another South American football powerhouse, faced Uruguay in a tense match at home in Salvador. Brazil struggled to find their rhythm but went behind 1-0 when Federico Valverde from Uruguay scored a great goal in the 55th minute. However, Brazil quickly responded. Just seven minutes later, Gerson equalized with a powerful volley after a headed clearance from the Uruguayan defense. Brazil had a chance to win the match, with Gabriel Martinelli coming close to scoring with a volley that was brilliantly saved by the Uruguayan goalkeeper, Sergio Rochet.

The game ended in a 1-1 draw, leaving Brazil with 18 points and in fifth place in the standings, one point behind Colombia, who were surprisingly beaten 1-0 by Ecuador at home in Barranquilla. Despite the draw, Brazil’s World Cup qualification hopes remain strong, with several more matches to play in the qualifying campaign.

With Argentina topping the table and Brazil aiming to bounce back, the South American qualifiers continue to be thrilling. Meanwhile, the news of Argentina’s visit to Kerala next year has added more excitement to the world of football in India.