The Muslim Youth League State General Secretary and MLA, P.K. Firoz, has demanded an enquiry by the State Vigilance and Anti Corruption Bureau into the previous LDF government’s failed attempt to bring Argentine Football Association (AFA) and its star player Lionel Messi to Kerala and the huge amount -- approximately ₹130 crore -- that is said to have changed hands between the private sponsor that had been chosen by the LDF government, a television news broadcasting company, and the AFA in violation of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act and other regulations.

At a press conference here on Tuesday, Mr. Firoz claimed that it was on the basis of the complaint given by the Muslim Youth League that the Sports Special Secretary, N. Prasanth had conducted an enquiry into the “Messi affair”, which revealed grave irregularities as well as the fact that shady financial transactions had taken place on behalf of Kerala government and the AFA .

He claimed that though the Muslim Youth League had raised several pertinent questions at the time, about the manner in which the then LDF government had found a private sponsor to promote the visit by AFA and the alleged contract the LDF government had entered into for the entire event, including the refurbishing of Kochi Jawaharlal Nehru stadium at ₹70-100 crore. The LDF government had been unwilling to divulge any details, he said.

Mr. Firoz said that the LDF government had kept mum about the entire affair, till the private sponsor himself came forward and revealed that he had already paid ₹126 crore in advance to the AFA on account of their visit to Kerala, which never materialised. He pointed out that the AFA, including its president and treasurer, were facing multiple financial and disciplinary investigations spanning the United States and Argentina, and that the US FBI was currently investigating commercial transactions and money laundering allegations against the AFA as well as a third agency with ties to AFA.

Mr. Firoz demanded to know how a television broadcasting company got involved in the murky financial deals surrounding the AFA and what was the role played by the then Sports Minister, V. Abdurahiman, in the entire affair, as it was he who had made the trip to Spain to bring AFA to Kerala and made the grand announcement about the same.

Published - August 12, 2026 12:53 am IST