Messi-led Argentina national team to play in Kerala next year
World Cup-winning Argentinian football team led by iconic Lionel Messi will play in Kochi next year, Kerala State Sports Minister V Abdurahiman announced on Wednesday.
If you had a penny for each time you heard the adage “When the World Cup is on, country takes precedence over country’, you’d probably be millionaire by now.
And American sports drink giants Gatorade seem to be utilising the upcoming quadrennial extravaganza in a new ad campaign that pits Barcelona forwards Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez against one another.
Messi, of course, plays for Argentina, while Suarez represents Uruguay on the international stage and both will be leading their respective countries when the World Cup kicks off in less than two months.
Advertisement
While of course the commercial does exaggerate a fair bit, it does get their friendship right as the South American duo enjoys a real camaraderie on and off the pitch.
Fresh off clinching a La Liga and Copa del Rey double, it’s safe to say that the La Blaugrana forwards have enjoyed yet another stellar season, even if the UEFA Champions League proved elusive once again.
At the World Cup in Russia, they are not expected to face each other till at leas t the knockout stages.
Argentina have been drawn in Group D and are expected to progress as group winners with their competitors including Croatia, Nigeria and Iceland.
Uruguay are in Group A, with hosts Russia, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. Suarez and Co. are expected to advance to the knockouts without much fuss as well.
Before the international scene takes centerstage, however, the two have the small matter of the El Clasico to prepare for.
With Barcelona hoping to end the La Liga season unbeaten, their clash with Los Blancos promises to be an enthralling encounter.
Should they overcome the hurdle of the capital outfit, they will have three games left in the season:
- Villareal (H), May 09
- Levante (A), May 13
- Real Sociedad (H), May 20
Advertisement
