Lionel Messi’s much-anticipated Kolkata leg of the ‘G.O.A.T. Tour of India 2025’ ended abruptly on Saturday after crowd unrest and alleged mismanagement forced the Argentina football icon to leave the Salt Lake Stadium within minutes, triggering widespread anger among fans and official apologies from the state government. Here's what went down:
Messi arrives to massive hype
Messi arrived in Kolkata in the early hours of Saturday, landing at around 2.30 am along with Inter Miami teammates Luis Suarez and Rodrigo de Paul. The city had been on edge for hours, with large crowds gathering on streets across Kolkata well past midnight in the hope of catching a glimpse of the football star.
Closed-door events add to fan frustration
The day’s programme began with Messi remotely unveiling a 70-foot statue at Lake Town from his hotel at around 10 am. He later attended a private interaction at a city hotel, where he met actor Shah Rukh Khan and Mohun Bagan Super Giants owner Sanjiv Goenka. These events, however, were largely inaccessible to the public, adding to rising frustration among fans who had paid hefty sums for tickets to the stadium event.
What was planned at Salt Lake Stadium
The situation deteriorated soon after Messi reached the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Salt Lake, where tens of thousands of fans were already in the stands. Messi was scheduled to take a lap of honour and participate in a public interaction alongside Shah Rukh Khan, former India cricket captain Sourav Ganguly and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
Fans barely see Messi, unrest erupts
According to NDTV, Messi remained surrounded by dignitaries and political figures during his brief appearance, making him barely visible to fans seated across the stadium. As minutes passed, fans dissatisfaction turned into open protest, with sections of the crowd booing officials and throwing bottles and chairs, leading to vandalism of stadium property.
Event cut short, Messi escorted out
Amid the escalating chaos, security personnel cut short Messi’s planned lap and escorted him out of the stadium. NDTV reported that the 38-year-old footballer was present at Salt Lake Stadium for just about 20 minutes. The proposed meetings with Shah Rukh Khan, Sourav Ganguly and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee did not take place.
Fans who had spent thousands of rupees on tickets were left outraged, with visuals of damaged seating and angry crowds quickly circulating on social media. The incident drew sharp criticism over crowd control, access planning and overall event execution.
“Here, a glass of cold drink costs Rs 150–200, yet we couldn’t even catch a glimpse of Messi. People have spent a month’s salary to see him. I paid Rs 5,000 for the ticket and came with my son to watch Messi, not politicians. The police and military personnel were taking selfies, and the management is to blame. There wasn’t even drinking water available,” an angry fan, Ajay Shah, told PTI.
Another fan present at the stadium said he left his wedding day to see Messi. "Today is my wedding day, but I left all the ceremonies to be here just for Messi. Still, the management was so pathetic that I couldn't even see him," he told reporters.
Mamata Banerjee apologises, probe ordered
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee later issued a public apology, expressing shock over what she described as “mismanagement” at the venue. She announced the formation of an inquiry committee to investigate the lapses that led to the collapse of the event. “I sincerely apologise to Lionel Messi and to all sports lovers and his fans for the unfortunate incident,” she said.
Organiser arrested, FIR registered
The organiser of Lionel Messi's GOAT India Tour 2025 has been arrested after the event at Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium turned into chaos as the masses gathered resorted to vandalism. Jawed Shamim, Additional Director General (ADG) Law and Order, confirmed the development while speaking to reporters in Kolkata.
"There is normalcy now. The second part is the investigation; the FIR has been lodged, and the chief organiser has been arrested... I'm telling you, they (organisers) are promising that they will return (ticket fee to fans). We will see how it can be done," he said.
Governor calls it a “dark day”
West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose termed the episode a “dark day” for Kolkata’s sports-loving public, blaming the organisers for the chaos and accusing the police of failing both the government and the people. He also demanded strict action against those responsible.
What's next
Messi is scheduled to travel to Hyderabad later on Saturday for an exhibition match hosted by Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy. However, the messy end to the Kolkata leg has cast a shadow over the opening chapter of the ‘G.O.A.T. Tour of India’, raising serious questions over event planning, crowd management and accountability.
