Lionel Messi does not need daylight to command attention. At 3:30 AM on Saturday, when Kolkata is usually quiet, the city was wide awake in anticipation to welcome the greatest footballer of this generation. Messi arrived to begin his GOAT India Tour 2025, and thousands of fans thronged the airport perimeter and later gathered outside his hotel. Huge chants and worshipping by fans thronged the ears of the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner.
Fans welcome Lionel Messi with aplomb
The Argentine superstar landed in Kolkata after travelling from Miami via Dubai, and the hour did little to dampen the excitement. Fans climbed barricades, waved Argentina jerseys and sang Messi’s name as police enforced a tight security cover around the terminal. For many, it was a once-in-a-lifetime moment.
Fans shared their stories with the media outside the airport, with one fan even travelling from Nepal to get a glimpse of the GOAT. He even stated that he’d even divorce his wife if that translates to him meeting Messi! This just shows the aura that Messi carries in the subcontinent after dominating world football for decades.
“There’s a great atmosphere of joy that Messi is coming to India after 14 years,” tour organiser Satadru Dutta said. “Football’s connection to India is growing again. Never before have so many sponsors come to Indian football.” Dutta’s earlier efforts had brought legends like Pele, Diego Maradona and Cafu to India, but Messi’s arrival has clearly taken things to another level.
Lionel Messi GOAT tour!
Messi’s schedule in Kolkata is packed. His day begins with a private meet-and-greet before he virtually inaugurates a statue dedicated to him. That will be followed by the centrepiece of the Kolkata leg, a massive fan interaction at Salt Lake Stadium between 11 am and 1 pm, where close to 85,000 fans are expected to turn up. During the event, Messi will also virtually inaugurate the ‘Monumento de Messi’, a 70-foot statue of him holding the 2022 World Cup trophy at Lake Town. A giant mural planned for next year’s Durga Puja will later be gifted to him.
Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan is scheduled to be present at the stadium event, while Messi will also meet Sourav Ganguly and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee before leaving the city.
By evening, the tour moves on. Messi will land in Hyderabad at 4:30 pm, where he will stay at the Taj Falaknuma Palace before heading to the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium. There, in a moment that perfectly sums up the tour’s spectacle, Messi will play the final five minutes of a short exhibition match, lining up against Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, who has reportedly been training daily for weeks.
