The arrival of Lionel Messi to India unleashed an unprecedented madness, but the dream of thousands of fans in Calcutta It ended in a nightmare. The long-awaited “GOAT Tour 2025” event turned into a real scandal: The Argentine captain had to leave earlier than expected and the fans’ anger exploded into destruction and total chaos at the Salt Lake stadium..
Read also: Messi arrived in India for the inauguration of his statue: it measures 21 meters and is the largest in the world
Since dawn, the city was paralyzed. Thousands of people filled the airport and hotel where Messi was staying, in an endless vigil of Albiceleste shirts, chants and drums. Calcutta, the capital of Indian football, experienced a day of euphoria that promised to be unforgettable.
But everything fell apart in minutes. Messi was only in the stadium for 10 minutes, he did not play and the promised appearances never materialized. The fans, who had paid very expensive tickets and endured hours of waiting, could not see it even up close.
Messi toured the stadium but had to leave earlier than expected (Video: X@ANI).
The organizational chaos and the fury of the fans
The situation got out of control when Politicians and their families surrounded Messi on the fieldpreventing him from approaching the tribune. According to one of the organizers, Messi himself tried to greet the people, but it was “pulled by the hand“by a politician to take family photos. The Argentine star’s team decided to cancel the event due to lack of securitysince the organization could not control the chaos.
It didn’t take long for the fans’ anger to explode: They invaded the field, broke seats and vandalized the Salt Lake stadiumsymbol of Indian football. The situation became so tense that Messi and his entourage, which included Luis Suarez y Rodrigo DePaulthey had to leave the place quickly.
The fans destroyed the stadium due to the poor organization of Messi’s event (VideoX@KhelNow/Photos: Reuters).
Exorbitant prices, black market and allegations of corruption
The scandal did not end there. The excessive increase in ticket prices and the emergence of a black market They fueled the indignation. Many fans denounced that the organization prioritized politicians and celebrities, leaving out ordinary people.
The controversy escalated to a political level: The Chief Minister of West Bengal apologized publicly to Messi and the fansand announced the formation of an investigative committee to determine responsibilities.
