As Delhi geared up to host Lionel Messi for the final leg of his GOAT India Tour, the capital woke up to a familiar winter spoiler. Dense fog blanketed large parts of the city on Monday, dragging visibility close to zero, slowing traffic to a crawl and prompting the India Meteorological Department to issue an orange alert. Temperatures dipped to 8.2 degrees Celsius.
Messi’s arrival, meant to be a showpiece moment for the capital, instead unfolded against a backdrop of grey skies, choking smog and mounting questions about air quality.
When excitement turns into internet fodder
It didn’t take long for social media to seize the moment. Images of fog-covered roads, masked commuters and hazy skylines flooded timelines, with fans mixing anticipation and sarcasm in equal measure.
One user joked, “Messi is a non-smoker. He’ll smoke 25 cigarettes today, courtesy Delhi AQI.”
Another quipped in Hindi, “Messi, welcome to Delhi. Your left leg is insured for $900 million, lungs ka kya?”
Memes escalated quickly. “Messi has 896 career goals. Tomorrow, Delhi’s AQI will beat that,” read one widely shared post.
Another showed a blank frame captioned, “Here’s a photo of Messi and Virat Kohli in Delhi — two GOATs,” a nod to the city’s near-zero visibility.
AQI takes centre stage
Beyond the humour lies a more uncomfortable reality. Delhi’s air quality has slipped into the hazardous zone, with the Air Quality Index reportedly crossing 600 and touching 700 in pockets of the city. For residents, this is an annual winter ordeal. For an international sporting icon visiting the city, it has become an awkward talking point.
Online discussions have increasingly focused on how such conditions affect outdoor events, athlete health and the city’s global image, especially when the visitor happens to be one of the most recognisable athletes on the planet.
A sharp contrast with Mumbai
The mood in Delhi could not be more different from Messi’s previous stop in Mumbai. On December 14, the Wankhede Stadium hosted a smooth, celebratory event where Messi appeared alongside Sunil Chhetri and Sachin Tendulkar. He played passes with children, joined a friendly penalty shootout and exchanged jerseys with the two Indian legends.
The event earned praise for its organisation, including from Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who publicly commended crowd management, a remark that carried weight after the chaos in Kolkata.
Lessons from Kolkata, calm after
Messi’s opening appearance in Kolkata had spiralled into disorder, with thousands of fans missing a glimpse of the footballer. The situation escalated into vandalism, broken barricades and damaged seating, forcing Messi to cut his visit short. Tour organiser Satadru Dutta was later arrested over alleged mismanagement.
Subsequent stops in Hyderabad and Mumbai were notably calmer, suggesting organisers had learned from early missteps. Delhi, however, now presents a different kind of challenge, one no amount of crowd control can fix overnight.
All eyes on Delhi’s final act
Speculation is also swirling around whether cricket icon Virat Kohli will attend the Delhi event, adding another layer of anticipation. Fans are already amused by the idea of two sporting GOATs sharing a stage, or disappearing into the smog together.
As the final leg of the GOAT India Tour unfolds, Delhi finds itself under renewed scrutiny. The energy around Messi’s visit is unmistakable. So, too, is the haze hanging over the city.
For now, football’s biggest star has arrived. Whether Delhi’s air lets the moment breathe is another question entirely.
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