By Srija Kumar
The GOAT India tour, featuring Lionel Messi’s visit to four cities in three days, wrapped up today. The Hyderabad and Mumbai leg of this tour went very smoothly, with fans sharing their dream moment at seeing the global icon online and in media interviews.
The start of his tour in Kolkata was defined by fans in Argentina jerseys lined up outside the gates, holding handmade posters for their god of football.
Seeing Lionel Messi in person was a moment that carried immense emotional weight for them.
Things took a bad turn as the appearance fans had been anticipating turned out to be disappointing.
Messi was on stage for less than 20 minutes which is far shorter than what had been communicated in the build-up. Large sections said they could not see him clearly, even on the stadium screens. As the delay stretched on, confusion turned into frustration and spectators began throwing bottles, seats were damaged, due to which the police were forced to intervene and restore order.
He then reached Hyderabad, where a laser show and performance by Rahul Sipligunj, a rapper, marked Messi’s arrival. He waved to the crowd, took part in a brief seven-a-side match and also interacted with fans, drawing a large applause.
Delhi offered the best organised leg of the tour with 25,000 spectators gathering at Arun Jaitley Stadium as Messi walked around the ground, addressing his fans briefly in Spanish, thanking them for the support he had received during the visit.
Satadru Dutta, the Kolkata event’s chief organiser, was detained by Kolkata Police. West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee later issued a public apology to fans and to Messi, acknowledging lapses in planning and assuring that refunds would be processed and an investigation conducted.
Messi earlier in the day, had remotely unveiled a statue of himself as he appeared alongside his teammates Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul as part of the GOAT India Tour.
The tour ended at the national capital. For organisers and authorities, the contrasting stops highlighted the importance of clear communication along with setting realistic expectations. For fans, it was a reminder that the value of such moments lies not in spectacle, but in being given the chance to share them properly.