Lionel Messi’s much-awaited visit to India began on a troubled note in Kolkata, after chaos broke out at the Salt Lake stadium during the event. The situation became serious enough for authorities to step in and question the event organisers. The main organiser of the GOAT India Tour 2025, Satadru Dutta, was stopped at Kolkata airport on Saturday (Dec 13) while travelling to Hyderabad. West Bengal Director General of Police Rajeev Kumar confirmed that Dutta was detained and later submitted a written assurance that money will be refunded to all the fans who bought tickets and came to watch Messi. However, Jawed Shamim, ADG Law and Order, later confirmed that Dutta had been arrested.
What went wrong at the event
Lionel Messi reached Salt Lake Stadium along with his Inter Miami teammates Rodrigo De Paul and Luis Suarez. State sports officials, event organisers and police were also present. Trouble started when Messi walked around the field to greet fans. Problems began when Messi walked around the field to greet fans. The crowd pushed forward, making it hard for police to maintain the perimeter.
A planned training session with children from across West Bengal was cancelled as the number of people on the field kept rising. Due to safety concerns, Messi left the stadium earlier than scheduled.
After his exit, angry fans broke into the ground and threw water bottles, damaged seats and tore posters. Many spectators were upset as some had paid up to INR 20,000 for tickets.
Social media anger towards organisers
In video clips shared by news agencies, fans were seen blaming the organisers for focusing more on VIP guests than regular crowd. One fan said that only politicians and actors were close to Messi, adding that despite paying ₹12,000, they could not even see him properly.
Another supporter called the event poorly managed, saying Messi appeared only for a few minutes. Fans felt they were promised much more, but got no proper view and no football action.
On X, one person said that, “If Messi stayed for 10 minutes, blame the organisers, not the stadium seats. Vandalism just proves why big stars avoid public events here.” Another one said that, “We paid, we didn’t even see him”.
Netizens also complained about long waiting hours, lack of proper entry management and confusion over ticket verification, with many saying the situation gets out of control due to inadequate planning.
What next for Messi on India GOAT Tour
Messi and Suarez will now head to Hyderabad, where they will be take part in another event organized by the Telangana government. He expected to play an exhibition match with Chief Minister Revanth Reddy.
The GOAT tour will then move to Mumbai on Sunday, where Messi will again play a charity match and later participate in a fashion event, which will also see him team up with Luis Suarez. The last day of the tour will be in New Delhi as the Argentine will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday before concluding his tour at an event in New Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium.
Lionel Messi GOAT Tour of India: Full Schedule
Here’s the full schedule of Messi’s GOAT Tour:
- December 13, Kolkata
1:30 am: Arrival in Kolkata
9:30 am to 10:30 am: Meet-and-greet programme
10:30 am to 11:15 am: Virtual inauguration of Messi’s statue
11:15 am to 11:25 am: Arrival at Yuva Bharati
11:30 am: Shah Rukh Khan arrives at Yuva Bharati
12:00 pm: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Sourav Ganguly arrive at the stadium
12:00 pm to 12:30 pm: Friendly match, felicitation and interaction
2:00 pm: Departure for Hyderabad
- December 13, Hyderabad
7:00 pm: 7v7 match at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium featuring Messi and Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy
The evening will also include a musical concert celebrating Messi
- December 14, Mumbai
3:30 pm: Participation in the Padel Cup at the Cricket Club of India
4:00 pm: Celebrity football match
5:00 pm: Event at Wankhede Stadium followed by a charity fashion show
- December 15, New Delhi
Meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi
1:30 pm: Event at Arun Jaitley Stadium, including the felicitation of Minerva Academy players
- Ticket Price
The tickets for Messi’s GOAT Tour are being sold on the District app. Ticket prices start at around Rs 4,500 in most cities. However, the tickets for the Mumbai leg start from Rs 8,250.
Messi’s India visit, his first since 2011, when he played a friendly for Argentina against Venezuela in Kolkata, received its final seal of approval on August 15.
Dutta had met Messi’s father, who is also his agent, before securing the deal, and then held a 45-minute meeting with the football legend at his home on February 28.
