Kerala race against November deadline for Messi magic

Lionel Messi is set to land in Kerala this November with Argentina's World Cup-winning squad.

- MANISHA V CS @Kochi

But as the fans wait with bated breath for the arrival of football's biggest icon, a frantic race has begun: can Kerala get a stadium ready in time?

All eyes are on Thiruvananthapuram's Greenfield Stadium, which is "almost finalised" as the venue, according to Anto Augustine, managing director of Reporter Broadcasting Company, the official sponsors of the Messi project.

"Right now, we have almost finalised the Greenfield Stadium in Karyavattom as the venue. Kochi is not in consideration. The government will take the final say soon," Anto said, adding that ticket rates and Argentina's opponents will be announced within a week.

But the venue, primarily a cricket ground, presents a challenge. With hard cricket pitches in its centre, football experts have pointed out that laying a world-class football turf in under three months will test Kerala's limits.