Missing out on Messi: Here's why India rejected to host world champions Argentina

Imagine the world champions Argentina and their talisman Lionel Messi in India. It was every Indian fan's dream but unfortunately, it was not to be.

According to reports, the World Cup winners were keen on playing a friendly match in India during this month's international window but the All India Football Federation (AIFF) unfortunately had to turn down the golden opportunity because of the high costs involved.

It goes without saying that Argentina and Messi enjoy a massive following in India and the world champions were interested in playing a friendly in the country. But the huge cost meant it wasn't possible, especially at such short notice.

According to reports, hosting Argentina would have cost approximately $5 million.

"The Argentina FA reached out to us for a friendly, but it was just not possible to arrange such a huge sum," AIFF secretary general Shaji Prabhakaran was quoted as saying.

"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," he added.

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