New Delhi [India], December 15 (ANI): New Delhi hosted the grand finale of Lionel Messi’s “G.O.A.T. India Tour 2025” on December 15, bringing the historic four-city tour to a smooth and successful closure amid immense fan enthusiasm.
Marking Messi’s second visit to India, the tour was spearheaded by leading Indian sports promoter Satadru Dutta through his company, A Satadru Dutta Initiative, with a focus on inspiring young footballers and reinforcing India’s emergence as a destination for global sporting events. Messi arrived in the National Capital on December 15, following successful engagements in Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Mumbai, and the Delhi leg culminated the tour.
The on-field programme at the Arun Jaitley Stadium featured a celebrity football match between the Minerva Messi All Stars and the Celebrity Messi All Stars. Following the game, Lionel Messi stepped onto the field for a brief interaction with players from both teams. He later engaged with young footballers, sharing a few passes alongside Luis Suarez and Rodrigo De Paul, offering a memorable experience for the aspiring talents.
The event culminated in a stage ceremony attended by the Chief Minister of Delhi, Rekha Gupta and other distinguished dignitaries, including Jay Shah, Chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC), Rohan Jaitley, President of the Delhi & District Cricket Association and former Indian football captain Bhaichung Bhutia.
During the ceremony, Jay Shah presented specially curated Indian cricket jerseys to Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Rodrigo De Paul, followed by the presentation of a commemorative cricket bat signed by legendary Indian cricketers to Messi.
During Lionel Messi’s visit to Mumbai, the Argentine football icon graced the Wankhede Stadium with his presence as a part of his ‘GOAT India Tour’ 2025. Messi, along with Suarez and De Paul, met Indian football legend Sunil Chhetri and the country’s ‘Bharat Ratna’, the cricketing icon Sachin Tendulkar.
The event began with the anchor hyping the crowd, and chants of ‘Messi’, ‘Messi’, ‘Messi’ filled the air as everyone awaited the arrival of the beloved football legend. Reputed Indian DJ, DJ Chetas, started the festivities by playing a set of songs curated for the occasion, with some popular Bollywood and English numbers ringing loud in the stadium, including Ed Sheeran’s ‘Sapphire’ and K’Naan’s ‘Wavin’ Flag’, the 2010 FIFA World Cup anthem and B Praak’s ‘Teri Mitti’.
Following that, a friendly football match took place between Indian Stars and Mitra Stars, with the former featuring actors Tiger Shroff, Jim Sarbh, Indian footballers Nikhil Poojari, and Bala Devi. Mitra Stars also featured Indian football icon Sunil Chhetri and his Bengaluru FC teammates Rahul Bheke and Chinglensana Singh Konsham. The event concluded with the crowd chanting the names of Sachin and Messi one by one.
Messi’s second pit stop during the GOAT India Tour 2025 was Hyderabad. Fans who gathered at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium got to witness Argentina’s FIFA World Cup-winning icon Messi in action, where he took part in a 7-on-7 exhibition football match involving the state’s Chief Minister, Revanth Reddy, soaked in the love from a passionate and loud audience and also met the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi.
Messi was also seen interacting with Rahul, marking another significant crossover between Argentine football and Indian politics. CM Revanth also welcomed Messi by saying, “Messi, welcome to Telangana, Telangana is rising!” The superstar footballer also presented Rahul with his iconic number 10 Argentina jersey as the Congress leader posed for a picture with him and his Inter Miami teammates, Luis Suarez and Rodrigo de Paul.
Telangana CM also felicitated the football legend with a momento. Messi, also a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, gave some children present at the venue a memory of a lifetime as he kicked the ball around the park with them for a few moments and the event ended on a memorable note.
Messi’s Kolkata leg, the first stop on the ‘GOAT Tour 2025’, ended chaotically. While the moment was supposed to be a moment of union between the World Cup-winning superstar and a football-crazy state, the presence of VIPs and politicians on the pitch with Messi sent fans into frenzy as they could barely catch a glimpse of the footballer for whom they had paid their hard-earned money.
After Messi unveiled his 70-foot-long statue virtually at Lake Town, Kolkata, built by Sree Bhumi Sporting Club out of adoration and respect for the legends’ heroics in international and club football, Messi, alongside his Inter Miami teammates Luis Suarez and Rodrigo De Paul arrived at the Salt Lake Stadium to a thunderous ovation and was a witness to an exhibition game between Diamond Harbour and Mohun Bagan.
While he did interact with a few players from both sides, clicked pictures and signed jerseys, it did not take long for VIPs and politicians also to enter the picture with their share of requests. The event was supposed to be a grand affair, but Messi left early, leaving a crowd of fans fuming. Fans voiced their anger at VIPs and politicians, including the state’s Sports Minister Aroop Biswas, as they loudly booed them and threw plastic bottles and chairs onto the pitch.
Some fans also entered the field, vandalising the tent and the goal post in frustration at missing a once-in-a-lifetime moment. The police used mild force to remove angry fans from the stadium, and WB governor CV Ananda Bose later revealed that the event organiser had been arrested.
A wholesome moment turned into a ‘criminal and political’ affair, with the organiser arrested and opposition parties taking a swipe at the Trinamool Congress (TMC) for alleged mismanagement. (ANI)
