Lionel Messi's Turbulent India Tour: Chaos and Football

Argentine football legend Lionel Messi's GOAT India Tour 2025 took a chaotic turn in Kolkata, with fans clashing amid poor crowd control, before he arrived in Hyderabad for an exhibition match. Politicians, VVIPs, and security overshadowed the sporting event, leaving fans frustrated and leading to unruly scenes.

The much-anticipated GOAT India Tour 2025 featuring Argentine football icon Lionel Messi took a tumultuous start in Kolkata. Fans, eager to witness the maestro, were left disgruntled as a sea of politicians, VVIPs, and security personnel overshadowed the sporting spectacle.

As Messi arrived at Hyderabad for the second leg, an exhibition match was set to begin at 7.50 p.m., promising supporters a chance to finally see their idol. Telangana's Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi were expected to grace the occasion alongside Messi and his Inter Miami teammates, Rodrigo De Paul and Luis Suarez.

However, events earlier saw fans erupt in frustration at the Salt Lake Stadium, where strict controls failed, leading to clashes. Bottles and ripped chairs were thrown as chaotic scenes unfolded, pointing to management deficiencies, bewildering many who had paid inflated prices to catch a glimpse of the legendary footballer.

(With inputs from agencies.)