Civil society organizations in Angola have appealed to the Argentine Football Association and global football icon Lionel Messi to reconsider plans for a friendly match in Luanda, following violent protests that left at least 30 people dead.
Both football federations have been negotiating to set a date for the game, which was scheduled to form part of celebrations marking Angola’s 50 years of independence in November.
However, in an open letter directed to the Argentine Football Association, the Argentine national team, and the Lionel Messi Foundation, four prominent civic groups condemned Angolan authorities for what they described as “systematic repression.”
The groups, which include Catholic, legal, and pro-democracy organizations, said refusing to play in the planned event “would be a noble gesture of international solidarity and respect for human rights.” They stressed that staging such a match at this time would only gloss over the suffering of ordinary citizens.
Angola, one of Africa’s largest oil producers, continues to grapple with stark inequality, with nearly a third of its 38 million citizens living in poverty, according to World Bank estimates. Discontent over worsening economic conditions recently boiled over in late July when protests against rising fuel prices turned violent.
Demonstrators looted shops, prompting security forces to respond with live gunfire. The violence left 30 dead, more than 270 wounded, and roughly 1,515 people arrested in what has been described as the worst wave of unrest the country has seen in decades.
The open letter also condemned the government’s prioritization of lavish sporting events over pressing social needs. “While public resources are being channelled to large-scale sporting events, thousands of children and adults face chronic hunger, severe anaemia, and widespread food insecurity,” the groups wrote. They highlighted a 2025 UN Food and Agriculture Organization report that found 22.5 percent of Angola’s population is undernourished.
The organizations argued that only a privileged few benefit from lucrative business opportunities tied to the country’s resources, most of whom are linked to the ruling MPLA, which has held power since independence from Portugal in 1975.
What you should know
Lionel Messi and the Argentine Football Association are being called upon to cancel a friendly match in Angola after protests against economic hardship turned deadly, with civil society groups accusing the government of using high-profile events to mask repression and neglect of widespread poverty and hunger.
