Lionel Messi finally gets to play in front of Indian fans after tour took chaotic turn in Kolkata

When Messi landed in Kolkata in the wee hours on Saturday, thousands of fans turned up at the airport to welcome the football legend. The Inter Miami captain was accompanied by his team-mates Luis Suarez and Rodrigo De Paul, as the Herons trio headed to their hotel amid massive euphoria.  

Similar enthusiasm was visible among the fans since early morning as nearly 85,000 fans visited Salt Lake Stadium to catch a glimpse of their favourite star. However, Messi's visit to the stadium was cut short and the footballers were rushed out of the venue due to reported security concerns. The thousands of fans at the stadium could hardly see Messi's face during his short 20-minute appearance, which left them disgruntled. Seats were ripped up and thrown onto the Salt Lake Stadium pitch, while video footage from Indian news agency ANI showed fans who had climbed over a fence to hurl objects onto the field. The prime organiser of the event, Satadru Dutta, was detained due to mismanagement following the stadium chaos, and the chief minister of West Bengal state, Mamata Banerjee, has ordered a high-level enquiry.  

Messi, who is in India as part of his 'GOAT Tour 2025', a four-part event, was scheduled to travel to Hyderabad next before visiting Mumbai and the national capital Delhi. In Hyderabad, Messi was welcomed by a thunderous crowd at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. At the second venue, Messi finally touched a football, as he, along with Suarez and De Paul, exchanged a few passes among themselves. They were also joined by a few youth footballers from the state of Telangana and the chief minister, Revanth Reddy.   

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At the conclusion of the even in Hyderabad, Messi took the microphone to address the buzzing crowd at the venue as he said: "Thank you very much for all your affection. It's an honour for us to be able to spend these days here in India with you, so I'm truly grateful. Thank you so much." 

De Paul and Suarez were also elated to visit India as the Argentine added: "I've enjoyed a lot. This has been a very special night. Thank you so much for your love and affection." Suarez then said: "Good evening, everyone. Thank you for the love. A big hug!"  

The World Cup-winning Argentina legend will next travel to Mumbai on Sunday morning, where he is supposed to meet a host of celebrities, including members of the Mumbai film industry and several other dignitaries. On Monday, He will jet off to Delhi before heading out of India.