AIFF Secretary General confirms turning down India's chance to host Messi's Argentina - Sportzcraazy

AIFF Secretary General Shaji Prabhakaran confirmed that India turned down the chance to host Lionel Messi's Argentina in a friendly match.

The Argentine Football Association (AFA) had two slots available for friendlies during the ongoing international window

However, due to budget constraints, the Indian body had to turn down the request from the Argentine FA.

According to reports, the AFA was demanding an appearance fee of around USD 4-5 million

Which is roughly around INR 32-40 Crore

The AIFF did not have the financial resources to meet this demand, so they had to turn down the offer.

This is a major disappointment for football fans in India, who would have loved to see Messi play live.

However, it is understandable that the AIFF had to make this decision due to financial constraints.

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