West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has ordered a high-level probe into the alleged mismanagement at the Lionel Messi event in Kolkata, after fans were unable to catch a glimpse of the football star.
Championship side Oxford United beat League Two's MK Dons on penalties after their match ended 1-1, while a couple of League One teams moved on, with Wigan Athletic beating Championship side Preston North End 1-0, and Port Vale defeating League Two's Fleetwood Town 1-0.
Italy are gearing up for their Twenty20 World Cup debut, hoping a strong showing next month will help the sport break into popular culture in a soccer-obsessed nation that does not have a natural cricket pitch.
According to ANI, citing sources, reported that the footballers will stay overnight at the facility, hosted by Anant Ambani, Director at Reliance Industries Limited.
Hyderabad delivered the perfect footballing spectacle on Saturday night as Lionel Messi lit up the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, offering fans a sharply contrasting experience to the chaos that had unfolded earlier in Kolkata.
While there are suggestions that Ruben Amorim's comments at Sunday's press conference triggered his axing, the verdict was clear given his under-performance in the hot seat.
Cricket legend Steve Waugh believes the European T20 Premier League can unlock new talent and expand cricket's footprint across Europe.
Sports must get priority over political, bureaucratic formalities: Bhutia
Satadru Dutta's rise was swift and ambitious. But that journey took a dramatic nosedive on Saturday.
Ronaldo's double for Saudi side Al-Nassr on Saturday took his tally to 956 goals for club and country, and with the 40-year-old set to play on for "one or two more years" his target looks achievable.
The NPA office bearers will include a chairperson, treasurer and a secretary. A minimum of one office bearer in the NPA board shall be a woman, as per the AIFF Constitution.
The TMC and BJP have engaged in a blame game following a chaotic Lionel Messi event at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata, which saw spectators storming the field and the main organiser being arrested for alleged mismanagement.
After marathon meetings with stakeholders, Mandaviya promises end to Indian football "stalemate"
India thus topped the list for a third consecutive year, something that might hurt its chances when the International Olympic Committee (IOC) evaluates its bid to host the 2036 Olympic Games in the near future.
'Imagine one player and now he's perfect but he will arrive with three kilos more. He will (stay) in Manchester. He will not travel to Nottingham Forest.'
Lionel Messi's much-hyped visit to the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata on Saturday lasted 22 minutes, just enough to underline everything that is wrong in Indian football and the state administration's mismanagement.
The court found that PSG had failed to pay three months of Mbappe's salary, an ethics bonus and a signing bonus due under his employment contract.
England racked up an eighth successive victory against Wales with a 3-0 cruise in an international friendly at Wembley on Thursday.
For long stretches, the atmosphere felt less Mumbai and more Camp Nou. Chants of 'Barca... Barca' and 'Suarez... Suarez' echoed through the stands as Messi interacted with youngsters, celebrities and former India football captain Sunil Chhetri.
Argentine football icon Lionel Messi arrived in Hyderabad for the second leg of his GOAT India Tour 2025 on Saturday evening, after a chaotic start to the much-anticipated event in Kolkata.
Messi is currently at the Mumbai airport and is expected to leave shortly for the final set of engagements, which includes an appearance at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium for a ticketed event.
Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy is expected to kick off a friendly football match to be attended by legend Lionel Messi during his visit to Hyderabad on December 13.
Sunil Chhetri penned an emotional tribute after meeting his childhood idol Lionel Messi during the Argentine legend's GOAT India Tour event at Mumbai's iconic Wankhede Stadium.
Eight-time Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi is not scheduled to play serious football on the 'G.O.A.T. India Tour 2025'.
Sunil Chhetri said the current state of uncertainty in Indian football is very concerning and the sport's ecosystem is 'worried, hurt, and scared' by the top-tier ISL being put on hold indefinitely.
Non-league Macclesfield produced perhaps the FA Cup's greatest upset on Saturday when they beat holders Crystal Palace 2-1 in a thirdround thriller, knocking Oliver Glasner's team out of the competition and sending the Moss Rose crowd into raptures.
A 19-year-old student from Vellore Institute of Technology said he sent the prank mail posing as Spain and Barcelona legend Xavi Hernandez, applying for the head coach position of the Indian football team.
Football Supporters Europe accused FIFA of imposing "extortionate" ticket prices that risk shutting ordinary fans out of the World Cup.
Argentine superstar footballer Lionel Messi's touchdown in Kolkata in the early hours of Saturday sent the city into a frenzy.
Football icon Lionel Messi arrived in Mumbai around noon on Sunday under "World Cup level" security measures, marking the second day of his four-city 'GOAT India Tour 2025'.
Tendulkar also hoped that 'India also reaches the height that we all aspire to (in football).'
AIFF waiting for AFC response over continental slots for ISL clubs in case of fewer matches
Lionel Messi's brief appearance in Kolkata was marred by security breaches and crowd management issues, raising concerns about planning and coordination. Eyewitness accounts and social media footage reveal a chaotic scene with organizers and VIPs crowding the player, leading to his early withdrawal and subsequent protests.
Current situation risks rendering ongoing operations untenable: ISL clubs to AIFF
Lionel Messi's GOAT Tour began amid chaos and vandalism at the Salt Lake Stadium, but for former India players Dipendu Biswas and Syed Rahim Nabi, it still turned into the moment of a lifetime in Kolkata on Saturday.
While most fans were left disappointed at the stadium, Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan did get his moment with the football legend.
Having earned a spot in the first division Romanian club CS Atletic Olimpia Gherla, the 22-year-old Harshika Jain has also set her sights on fulfilling her dream of playing for the Indian team.
Ichhapur tea-seller Shib Shankar Patra is one of two diehard fans handpicked for a special meet-and-greet with Argentine superstar Lionel Messi.
Messi has been accompanied throughout the tour by Luis Surez and Rodrigo De Paul. During his Mumbai visit, the football icon met Parth Jindal, owner of Bengaluru FC and co-owner of Delhi Capitals.
Urban Negi, a highly-rated nine-year-old Indian-origin footballer, has signed with Everton FC's Under-9 Youth Academy.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances