This could get Messi: Argentina to 'use Saudi airspace' en route to controversial Israel match

Argentina's football team has filed a special request to Saudi Arabia requesting permission to fly through the kingdom's airspace en route to Israel.

Israel's public broadcaster Kan reported on Thursday that Riyadh is leaning toward accepting the request, although a final decision has not yet been made.

The request was made ahead of a friendly game between Argentina and Uruguay on 18 November. The game, due to be played at the New Bloomfield Stadium in Jaffa, was organised by Israeli event management company Comtecgroup.

Read more: Argentina make a Messi of Israel's anti-BDS campaign

Argentina will play against Brazil on 15 November in Saudi Arabia before flying to Israel on a private plane.

Saudi Arabia opened its airspace to commercial flights to and from Israel for the first time in March 2018, with the inauguration of an Air India route between New Delhi and Tel Aviv.

Argentina's football association cancelled a warm-up match against Israel last year in Jerusalem after facing harsh criticism over the game from pro-Palestine activists and officials.

The Arab League had also urged Argentina to cancel the match, which was set to take place on the site of a Palestinian village in Jerusalem destroyed in the 1948 war.

Read more: BDS goal: Argentina team scraps Israel football match after Palestine pressure

A month before that game was due to take place, Israeli forces killed at least 61 Palestinians as tens of thousands of Gazans protested the US transfer of its embassy in Israel to the disputed city of Jerusalem.

The Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement has urged Argentina to cancel the upcoming friendly game against Uruguay.

"Israel uses the prestige of championship teams like Argentina and Uruguay and star players Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez to sports-wash its regime of oppression, apartheid, and occupation," the movement said in a statement.