Salt Lake all set for Messi and Co.

With just 6 days to go for the kick-off, the Argentina-Venezuela friendly has become the talk of the town.

The hype surrounding the match can be mostly attributed to the expected presence of Lionel Messi, but there is more to this contest between two South American sides than the twinkle-toed sorcerer from Argentina.

Never before has the country hosted a FIFA-sanctioned match involving two of the world's top national teams.

The two contestants in the 'friendly' skirmish at the Salt Lake Stadium slated for September 2, being organised in association with The Times of India, belong to the higher echleons of world soccer.

As per current FIFA rankings, Argentina are No. 10 in the world, while Venezuela are 40th.

Fans can, therefore, look to a mouth-watering clash. There is also good news for Indian football which is sure to reap the fringe benefits from this international match.

The biggest beneficiary, of course, would be the Salt Lake Stadium itself.

Thanks to the 'big' match, extensive repairs have been carried out and the turf is back in pristine condition. The entire stadium, too, is being given a facelift.

The players' tunnel, too, has been done up. The stadium now boasts two new warm-up zones and medical and dope-testing rooms. The press box is now Wi-fi enabled and the electronic scoreboard has been replaced with a brand new giant LED screen.

The floodlighting system has been a source of embarrassment over the years as scores of matches have had to be halted following breakdown. Bhaswar Goswami of Celebrity Management Group - exclusive licensee of the match - however, is confident that the stadium is fit to host even World Cup qualifying matches.

According to AIFF vice-president Subrata Dutta, the successful hosting of the Argentina-Venezuela match will pave the way for soccer's national body to organise more international friendlies and AFC tournaments in future. Salgaocar coach Karim Bencherifa feels the September 2 friendly will no doubt help widen the fan base.