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MATCH : | Inter Miami V/s Orlando City |
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| DATE: | 28-08-2025 |
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The Business Behind Messi’s Kerala Visit: Hype, Profits, and the Harsh Reality
The recent buzz about Lionel Messi’s potential visit to Kerala has created shockwaves across the state. For many fans, it feels like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see their football idol up close. But beyond the excitement and social media frenzy lies a deeper story — the massive business machinery that drives such events and the uncomfortable truth about Kerala’s sporting infrastructure.
The Business Angle: How Broadcasters and Organizers Profit
If Messi steps onto Kerala soil, the first to cash in will be media houses and event organizers. Channels like Reporter TV are expected to make enormous profits through exclusive broadcasting rights, advertising, and sponsorship deals. With football being an emotion in Kerala, brands know the eyeballs such an event will attract.
Experts estimate that a single broadcaster could earn crores in advertisement revenue during live coverage. Tickets, merchandising, special interviews, and promotional campaigns will further boost the financial windfall. In short, Messi’s presence is less about football development and more about the business empire it fuels.
The Harsh Reality: Kerala’s Lack of Facilities
While crores are spent to bring Messi for a day, Kerala’s own footballers continue to struggle. The state does not have a world-class stadium that matches international standards. The Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi, once a fortress for Kerala Blasters, is in poor condition and often criticized for lack of proper maintenance. Training facilities for grassroots players are limited, and infrastructure development remains stagnant.
Ironically, while lakhs are poured into event management and promotions, local footballers lack basic infrastructure to train and compete. Stadium projects are delayed, pitches remain uneven, and young talents are forced to look outside the state for better opportunities.
A Misplaced Priority?
The Messi hype proves how easily emotion can be converted into business. Fans are drawn in, broadcasters and event managers make huge profits, but the state’s football culture gains little in return. Unless authorities and investors direct equal attention towards building stadiums, upgrading infrastructure, and supporting local players, Kerala football will remain stuck in the shadow of commercial spectacles.
Messi coming to Kerala may be a dream for fans, but it is also a reminder of how business interests dominate sports. If the same energy and money were invested in developing Kerala’s infrastructure, the state could one day produce its own Messi rather than spending crores to invite one
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