Inter Miami's Lionel Messi did not participate in training on Wednesday due to a muscle strain in his left hamstring, with his injury leading to the postponement of what was supposed to be the reigning MLS Cup champions' preseason finale.
MLS begins a transformative season with Lionel Messi, Son Heung-min and record transfers as North America prepares to host the World Cup.
MLS enters its 31st season amid World Cup buzz and Lionel Messi's impact, with Don Garber calling it a defining moment for the league's future.
The Wankhede crowd went in to tizzy when India's cricket God and the Argentine football captain came together on stage and exchanged pleasantries and presents.
Lionel Messi eyes owning a club after playing days are done
Indian spin wizard Kuldeep Yadav opens up about meeting Argentina football icon Lionel Messi during the latter's visit to the national capital as a part of his 'GOAT India Tour 2025'.
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.
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.
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.
The Lionel Messi G.O.A.T. India Tour that began in shambolic fashion ended in a blaze of glory as devotional fans joyously gathered to catch a glimpse of a man that does things on the field that are often beyond human comprehension.
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
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.
According to ANI, citing sources, reported that the footballers will stay overnight at the facility, hosted by Anant Ambani, Director at Reliance Industries Limited.
Tendulkar also hoped that 'India also reaches the height that we all aspire to (in football).'
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.
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.
'Icons like Messi inspire us and that inspiration matters deeply. But inspiration must be met with intent.'
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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.
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'.
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 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 All India Football Federation (AIFF) issued a statement clarifying that Lionel Messi's event in Kolkata was a private event organised by a PR agency and the federation was not involved in the "planning or execution" of the event at Salt Lake Stadium on Saturday.
Hyderabad stadium decked up for Messi's Magic
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 most fans were left disappointed at the stadium, Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan did get his moment with the football legend.
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.
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.
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.
A newly-married couple in Kolkata revealed that they cancelled their honeymoon to catch a glimpse of Messi in Kolkata.
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.
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.
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 confirms Hyderabad stop on GOAT Tour
Eight-time Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi is not scheduled to play serious football on the 'G.O.A.T. India Tour 2025'.
'...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.'
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.
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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Lionel Messi's programme in Hyderabad was in stark contrast to the mayhem in Kolkata as the second leg of the GOAT India Tour ended on a positive note thanks to thorough preparations, sound planning, and discipline.
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