Messi’s Keralam visit row: ED to register money-laundering case
The Enforcement Directorate is set to register a money-laundering case regarding a failed attempt to bring Lionel Messi and the Argentina football team to Kochi for a friendly match. The investigation follows allegations of financial misappropriation and illegal agreements involving a broadcasting company.
Why it matters
The case highlights the intersection of sports management, corporate governance, and financial crime in high-profile international event planning.
The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) is set to register a case into the alleged financial misappropriation linked to the failed attempt to bring the Argentina national football team and its legendary former captain Lionel Messi to Kochi, Keralam, for an international friendly match in 2025 .
The Kochi unit of the ED will register an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) following revelations of financial transactions worth crores in connection with the failed bid. The First Information Report (FIR) registered by the Kalamassery police on September 15, 2026, at the instance of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the Messi row, will form the basis of the ED case.
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