Messi’s GOAT India tour hit by chaos in Kolkata, all eyes on Hyderabad next

Kolkata: What was meant to be a dream-come-true moment for fans of football legend Lionel Messi during his G.O.A.T. India Tour 2025 in Kolkata descended into chaos on Saturday morning at Salt Lake Stadium.

Angry over alleged poor organisation, fans resorted to vandalism, hurled bottles from the stands and broke barricades after Messi left the venue barely 20 minutes after his arrival at 11:30 am.

Supporters reportedly stormed the ground, which had earlier been refurbished for the 2017 FIFA Under-17 World Cup. Several fans, who had paid between ₹4,500 and ₹18,000 for tickets, complained that they were unable to even see the Argentine star, alleging that he remained surrounded by political leaders and dignitaries.

Messi was scheduled to attend a grand felicitation ceremony, which was expected to be graced by his teammates, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, former Indian cricket captain Sourav Ganguly and Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan. However, the programme was abruptly cut short due to the unrest.

“This was an absolutely terrible event. Only leaders surrounded him. He stayed for just about 10 minutes, didn’t take a single kick or address the crowd. So much money, emotion and time were wasted. We couldn’t see anything,” a disappointed fan told the media.

Reacting to the incident, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed her anguish in a post on X, saying she was “deeply disturbed and shocked” by the mismanagement at Salt Lake Stadium. She apologised to Lionel Messi and his fans and announced the formation of an enquiry committee headed by retired Justice Ashim Kumar Ray, with the Chief Secretary and the Additional Chief Secretary (Home and Hill Affairs) as members. The committee will probe the incident, fix responsibility and recommend measures to prevent such lapses in the future.

Earlier in the day, Messi had virtually unveiled a 70-foot iron statue dedicated to him by the Sree Bhumi Sporting Club at Lake Town. He also met actor Shah Rukh Khan, who was accompanied by his son Abram.

Messi in Hyderabad

Messi’s G.O.A.T. India Tour 2025 continues in Hyderabad on Saturday evening. He is expected to arrive at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Shamshabad, between 4:00 pm and 4:30 pm along with his team.

After his arrival, Messi will head to Falaknuma Palace for a private, ticketed meet-and-greet scheduled at 5:00 pm. Later in the evening, he will proceed to the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Uppal for the main event of his India tour, where he is set to play a friendly match with Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy.