New Delhi, April 2 -- Kerala Sports Minister V Abdurahiman on Thursday alleged that the Argentina football team misled the state by failing to play a scheduled match despite receiving payment.

Abdurahiman added that he had been keen for the Argentina team and Lionel Messi to visit Kerala for a match.

The minister informed a TV channel, stating, "For that, I had held several discussions. It was also not an easy task to find sponsors to arrange the Rs.250 crore to be paid to the international football team. But, after receiving the money, the Argentine football team cheated us. We did not expect such a betrayal from them. Not coming after promising to do so."

He said that upon inquiry, he discovered that Argentina had reportedly pulled s...