US EditionMessi's Tour of India Gets Off to Chaotic Start with Fans Throwing Bottles
Fans vandalized Salt Lake Stadium after many ticket-holders said they could not see Messi in person or on screens, prompting an official apology and a planned inquiry.
- On Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025, Lionel Messi's much-hyped GOAT India Tour opened in Kolkata with chaotic scenes at Salt Lake Stadium.
- The Times of India reported many ticket-holders said they waited for hours yet failed to see Messi in person or on the stadium's big screens.
- Fans ran onto the field, vandalized stadium chairs, rode goalposts and made obscene gestures in protest, while earlier Saturday Messi remotely unveiled a 21-meter statue in Kolkata.
- The chief minister apologized to Messi and to paying fans and promised a formal enquiry, with Mamata Banerjee, West Bengal chief minister, saying a committee will conduct a detailed enquiry to fix responsibility.
- The itinerary takes Messi from Kolkata to Hyderabad and then Mumbai before ending the three-day GOAT India Tour in New Delhi on Monday.
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97 Articles
Messi's Tour Of India Gets Off To Wild Start As Fans Destroy A Soccer Stadium
Lionel Messi isn't just one of the biggest-name athletes on the planet; he's one of the biggest-name anythings on the planet. So, you can understand why throngs of people showed up for his multi-day tour of India.And you can also understand why fans were monumentally pissed when they didn't get to see very much of him.According to the Associated Press, the Argentinian superstar is on a quick tour through India called the "GOAT India Tour." The p…
An Indian entrepreneur organized a three-day tour of India for top footballer Lionel Messi. A very brief stadium visit enraged fans. "We had a 12,000 rupee ticket, but we couldn't even see him."
Tagesschau
They had paid about 100 euros or more to get a look at their football idol Messi - a lot of money in India. But to see him was practically nobody. Many fans let their anger run free.
Lionel Messi's tour of India began with incidents in Calcutta. This Saturday, the Argentine footballer appeared a few minutes at Salt Lake Stadium and his quick departure caused the annoyance of fans, who threw chairs and objects into the camp as a protest.According to reports from the Indian press, Messi entered the gramado, greeted the public and left the venue 20 minutes later.During his stay, a large group of people surrounded the player, wh…
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