'...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.'
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.
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.
Messi confirms Hyderabad stop on GOAT Tour
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.
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'.
Ichhapur tea-seller Shib Shankar Patra is one of two diehard fans handpicked for a special meet-and-greet with Argentine superstar Lionel Messi.
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said the World champions will stick to the same winning formula that delivered glory at the Qatar 2022 World Cup after on Friday finding out their group opponents for next year's global tournament.
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.
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.
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.
They weren't up for a windfall even after the trophy but life was certain to get a lot better as some sponsors and state governments stepped up to lift them financially.
Glimpses from Sunday's Congress rally at the Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi against 'Vote Chori'.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday accepted Aroop Biswas's resignation as the sports minister in the wake of the controversy over the mismanagement of football icon Lionel Messi's event last week, a senior leader of the ruling Trinamool Congress said.
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.
The chief organizer of the Lionel Messi football event at Salt Lake stadium in Kolkata, where chaos erupted, has been remanded to 14-day police custody. The arrest follows allegations of mismanagement during Messi's appearance, which led to widespread frustration and vandalism among spectators.
From Royal Challengers Bengaluru's historic first IPL title to star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra finally breaking the iconic 90-meter mark to India women winning their first cricket World Cup, this was the year of long-awaited victories and record-breaking feats.
India's footballing future was discussed in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday by Congress member Jose K Mani, as he cited tiny Dutch-Caribbean island Curacao's World Cup qualification to ask Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya about the long-term plan for sport in the country that is on a downward spiral.
Argentine superstar footballer Lionel Messi's touchdown in Kolkata in the early hours of Saturday sent the city into a frenzy.
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.
Indian football remained in a state of terminal decline after experiencing arguably its darkest phase in a year marked by severe administrative crisis, court hearings, financial issues, absence of domestic leagues, and a steep decline in performance of the senior men's team.
Messi's return to Barca not realistic, says club president Laporta
Satadru Dutta's rise was swift and ambitious. But that journey took a dramatic nosedive on Saturday.
Lionel Messi has extended his contract with MLS side Inter Miami to 2028, the club announced on Thursday.
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.
'I'm really eager because it's a World Cup. We're coming off winning the last one, and being able to defend it on the field again is spectacular because it's always a dream to play with the national team.'
"Game Set Match... So it's now confirmed and official. World Cup winner Argentine superstar Rodrigo De Paul and Uruguayan and Barcelona legend Luis Surez will join Messi for the 'GOAT Tour to India 2025' Vamos," posted organiser Satadru Dutta on social media.
Lionel Messi's much-anticipated 'GOAT Tour to India 2025' just got bigger with Hyderabad added as the new southern leg stop to ensure fans in the region are not "deprived" of seeing their idol following the cancellation of Argentina's proposed friendly in Kerala.
India's live events scene is hitting a high note. With global performers adding the country to their tour maps and the government aiming to double the concert economy, hotels in key metro cities are bracing for sold-out weekends. Travel operators, too, are curating packages built entirely around concerts.
Travellers are turning concerts into full-fledged weekend getaways, giving rise to the 'gigcation' -- a short, experience-led micro-holiday.
Argentine superstar Lionel Messi has sent his signed 2022 World Cup victorious jersey to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his 75th birthday.
Lionel Messi on Thursday confirmed his participation in the much-anticipated GOAT Tour of India 2025, calling it an "honour" to revisit the "passionate football nation" where he last played 14 years ago.
Cristiano Ronaldo has become the first footballer to reach billionaire status, according to the latest Bloomberg Billionaires Index, which has valued the Portugal great's net worth at an estimated $1.4 billion.
Argentina's national team unveiled a revamped 31-man squad on Monday, led by Lionel Messi, for the South American qualifiers against Venezuela and Ecuador for the 2026 World Cup.
Should FIFA approve the 64-team format, it would be a one-off birthday bash, with the tournament expected to shrink back to 48 in 2034.
'Being able to finish this way here with my people is what I always dreamed of.'
'At my age, it's only logical to think I might not.'
The minister had earlier insisted that the Messi-led Argentina side would visit the state as announced by the government, and that the sponsor had already paid the match fee for the event.
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