The first day of Lionel Messi’s tour of India ended in controversy after angry fans vandalised the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata. Fresh from leading Inter Miami to a historic MLS Cup triumph, the World Cup winner arrived in India for a three-day “GOAT Tour.”
Accompanied by teammates Luis Suarez and Rodrigo De Paul, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner was due to unveil a statue of himself in Kolkata on Saturday afternoon. The statue, built over 27 days by a 45-strong team, stands at an imposing 70 feet. However, after just one day - and with further stops planned in Hyderabad, Mumbai and Delhi - unrest has emerged over the organisation of the tour. Watch the ugly scenes below:
The event had been billed as a once-in-a-lifetime chance for Messi’s Asian fanbase to see the former Barcelona star in person, but proceedings descended into chaos. Fans reportedly threw objects, ripped up seats, invaded the pitch and damaged the stage after Messi made only a brief appearance, largely shielded from view by a heavy security presence.
Lionel Messi's India Tour Kicks Off in Chaos
Lionel Messi celebrates a goalSam Navarro | Imagn Images
Messi is in India as part of a tour during which he is scheduled to attend concerts, youth football clinics, a Padel tournament and launch charitable initiatives at events across the country.
But the 38-year-old's appearance lasted just 20 minutes, according to Indian media, and the outrage among supporters that wanted to see their idol in person was that it seemed only high-profile figures in the country were granted the personal interaction with Messi that ticketed supporters were promised. As one attendee said on TV (watch below):
"Only leaders and actors were surrounding Messi. Why did they call us then? We have got a ticket for 12,000 rupees (£100), but we were not even able to see his face."
Elsewhere, another attendee said, as per Reddit: “Everyone was excited today as Messi was coming. It’s my wedding day, but I left all the ceremonies to be here. Still, the management was so pathetic that I couldn’t even see him."
Chief Minister Issues Apology to Messi
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The chief minister of West Bengal state, Mamata Banerjee, apologised to Messi and ordered a probe into the incident. "I am deeply disturbed and shocked by the mismanagement witnessed today at Salt Lake stadium," Banerjee, who was on her way to the event when chaos broke out, posted on X.
"I sincerely apologise to Lionel Messi, as well as to all sports lovers and his fans, for the unfortunate incident," she said. "I am constituting an enquiry committee... the committee will conduct a detailed enquiry into the incident, fix responsibility, and recommend measures to prevent such occurrences in the future."
More to follow...