Messi’s Keralam visit row: ED to register money-laundering case

The FIR also alleges that the accused conspired to gain custody of the Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium in Kochi by securing an exemption from the ₹5 crore security deposit | Photo Credit: THULASI KAKKAT

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.