Football superstar Lionel Messi, signed off his three-day G.O.A.T. Tour of India in New Delhi, leaving fans with a promise rather than a goodbye. Thanking the crowd in Spanish —“Gracias Delhi! Hasta pronto”— the Argentine forward hinted at another visit as he wrapped up stops across Kolkata, Hyderabad and Mumbai.
The visit, spanning Kolkata, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Delhi from 13–15 December, was meant to be a celebratory showcase of one of football’s greatest icons. Instead, it opened with a fiasco. Kolkata, expected to deliver the most electric reception, became the tour’s biggest embarrassment. Messi’s scheduled 45-minute interaction at the Salt Lake Stadium was mysteriously slashed to 20 minutes, triggering chaos. Outraged fans, many who had paid steep ticket prices, threw bottles, tore seats and spilled onto the pitch. The fallout was swift: organiser Satadru Dutta was arrested, and police announced full refunds for ticket-holders. The global superstar left the city amid confusion and controversy.
Messi arrived in Hyderabad later that day at 5:40 pm. The Hyderabad leg unfolded smoothly at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, where a near-capacity crowd welcomed him. He participated in the GOAT Cup exhibition event and shared the stage with Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy for the ceremonial kick-off. Later, Messi attended a private gathering at the historic Falaknuma Palace and interacted with Tollywood celebrities and state officials.
On Sunday, Messi reached Mumbai, the third stop of his tour. At the Wankhede Stadium, he was accompanied by former Barcelona teammates Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul. A highlight of the event was Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar gifting Messi a jersey with the iconic number 10, a number synonymous with both sporting icons. Fans across the stadium proudly wore jersey number 10 in celebration.
The final leg of the tour took place in New Delhi at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. It included an exhibition match, a stage event, a football clinic and several high-profile private meetings. At one point during the Delhi event, as Delhi’s CM Rekha Gupta stepped on to the pitch, the crowd spontaneously started shouting – ‘AQI, AQI, AQI’.
Ticket prices varied across cities. Starting prices were ₹4,366 in Kolkata, ₹2,250 in Hyderabad, ₹7,080 in Mumbai and ₹4,720 in New Delhi. Premium tickets ranged from ₹30,000 in Hyderabad to ₹50,000 in Kolkata and Mumbai, with Delhi offering ultra-VIP packages exceeding ₹82,000 and exclusive experiences reportedly costing up to ₹1 crore.
Despite a turbulent beginning, Messi’s ‘G.O.A.T. tour’ highlighted his global appeal and the growing enthusiasm for football in India.