Between 9 and 13 December, the Argentina Football Fans Club of Kolkata is turning Aikatan, a cultural hub just a short walk from Salt Lake Stadium, into a full-blown Messi fan zone, drenched in Argentina's blue and white.
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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.
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.
Lionel Messi lit up the Arun Jaitley Stadium as the final leg of his G.O.A.T India Tour got underway in Delhi on Monday.
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.
'Icons like Messi inspire us and that inspiration matters deeply. But inspiration must be met with intent.'
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.
Angry fans hurled bottles and damaged fibreglass seats, forcing the police to intervene as they struggled to bring the situation under control at the Salt Lake Stadium on Saturday.
Messi, accompanied by his Inter Miami teammates Luis Surez and Rodrigo De Paul, was accorded a traditional welcome, featuring folk music, floral greetings and a ceremonial 'Aarti'.
Political parties in West Bengal, including the ruling TMC and opposition BJP, have condemned the organizers of an event featuring Lionel Messi in Kolkata after it descended into chaos due to spectators' inability to properly view the football star. Demands for action and accountability have been made.
Messi confirms Hyderabad stop on GOAT Tour
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.
According to ANI, citing sources, reported that the footballers will stay overnight at the facility, hosted by Anant Ambani, Director at Reliance Industries Limited.
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.
Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli were spotted at Delhi airport on Sunday morning after flying in from Mumbai, with the couple's arrival immediately sparking buzz around Lionel Messi's ongoing GOAT India Tour.
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'.
While most fans were left disappointed at the stadium, Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan did get his moment with the football legend.
The final day of the GOAT India Tour will also see Messi exchanging greetings with two members of the Indian cricket team at the Ferozshah Kotla Stadium.
Indian men's football team captain Sandesh Jhingan on Wednesday questioned the logic of spending crores on Lionel Messi's high-profile 'GOAT Tour', saying the extravagance has forced him to think if anyone is really concerned about investing in Indian football, which has effectively come to a standstill.
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.
Eight-time Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi is not scheduled to play serious football on the 'G.O.A.T. India Tour 2025'.
The police in Kolkata have arrested the organiser of the event surrounding Argentine footballer Lionel Messi's visit to the Salt Lake Stadium after chaos broke out when the superstar stayed only for a few minutes and was not visible to most fans in attendance.
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What should have been a landmark footballing moment in Kolkata turned into a cautionary tale on Saturday morning, as Lionel Messi's brief appearance at the Salt Lake Stadium was cut short amid crowd mismanagement
'...we carry all this love with us, and we will definitely return, hopefully one day to play a match or on another occasion, but we will definitely return to visit India.'
Lionel Messi's final stop on his G.O.A.T India Tour produced a memorable crossover moment between football and cricket in New Delhi on Monday.
Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee has criticised the arrest of Vinesh Chandel, co-founder of I-PAC, alleging it's a politically motivated attempt to intimidate the opposition and undermine the fairness of the upcoming West Bengal elections.
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.
PSG coach Luis Enrique downplays favourites tag ahead of Champions League quarter-final against Liverpool, warning of a tough contest despite the English side's struggles.
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.
Inter Miami secured their first MLS Cup crown on Saturday, beating the Vancouver Whitecaps 3-1 at Chase Stadium as Rodrigo De Paul and Tadeo Allende struck late from a pair of Lionel Messi assists.
BJP National President Nitin Nabin has criticised West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for allegedly prioritising political games over sports and cultural activities, leading to the state's decline in these areas. He also accused the TMC government of using sports clubs for political purposes.
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Jamshedpur FC and Mumbai City FC played to a 1-1 draw in a thrilling Indian Super League match, with a late equaliser from Sarthak Goloui cancelling out Brandon Fernandes' first-half goal.
Stating that she was shocked and deeply disturbed by the 'mismanagement' at the Lionel Messi event in Kolkata, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday announced the constitution of a high-level committee to probe the incident.
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