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.'
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.
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.
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'.
Sports must get priority over political, bureaucratic formalities: Bhutia
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.
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.
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.
Messi confirms Hyderabad stop on GOAT Tour
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.
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.
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.
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 Kerala government announced on Wednesday that the Argentina national football team, led by legendary player Lionel Messi, will visit the state next year for an international friendly match, which Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan hailed as a tribute to state people's passion for soccer.
'...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.'
Argentina skipper Lionel Messi has said that "in principle" last year's World Cup would be his fifth and final appearance.
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.
Lionel Messi has extended his contract with MLS side Inter Miami to 2028, the club announced on Thursday.
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.
Ichhapur tea-seller Shib Shankar Patra is one of two diehard fans handpicked for a special meet-and-greet with Argentine superstar Lionel Messi.
Argentine superstar Lionel Messi on Saturday virtually unveiled his towering 70-foot statue at Sree Bhumi Sporting Club in Lake Town, Kolkata.
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'.
Messi's return to Barca not realistic, says club president Laporta
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.
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.
Messi's last visit with the Argentina team to India was back in 2011, when they faced Venezuela in a friendly match at Kolkata's iconic Salt Lake Stadium.
Edtech major Byju's has roped in football star Lionel "Leo" Messi as the first global brand ambassador of its social impact arm Education For All, the company said on Friday. Messi, who plays for Paris Saint-Germain and captains the Argentinian football team, has signed an agreement with Byju's to promote the cause of equitable education, Byju's said in a statement. "We are honoured and excited to collaborate with Lionel Messi as our global ambassador.
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.
Glimpses from Sunday's Congress rally at the Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi against 'Vote Chori'.
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.
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