GOAT India Tour: How Kolkata’s Long-Awaited Lionel Messi Appearance Descended into Chaos — A Timeline of Events

        GOAT India Tour: How Kolkata’s Long-Awaited Lionel Messi Appearance Descended into Chaos — A Timeline of Events

Kolkata has long prided itself on its passion for football and its tradition of celebrating the sport’s greats. On Saturday afternoon, however, anticipation gave way to anger as Lionel Messi’s much-awaited appearance at the Salt Lake Stadium ended in chaos.

         The city’s brief glimpse of the Argentine legend was cut short when Messi, in India as part of his GOAT Tour, was forced to abandon his lap of honour at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan after crowds surged towards the field. Bottles were hurled from the stands, prompting security personnel to escort him off the ground within minutes.

          What was expected to be a memorable occasion for football fans in the City of Joy descended into confusion and disorder. Many spectators described the episode as “less of Messi” and more of a “royal mess,” as crowd control inside the stadium collapsed.

                   Several fans, including those who paid premium prices for tickets, said they barely saw Messi—neither in person nor on the giant screens—despite waiting for hours. Tight security arrangements and the presence of politicians and dignitaries in prime seating areas further obstructed views, fuelling resentment among the crowd.

The World Cup-winning captain arrived at the stadium around 11.30 am along with Luis Suárez and Argentina teammate Rodrigo De Paul. His vehicle was parked near the touchline, and when Messi stepped onto the field, he was immediately surrounded by VIPs, organisers, celebrities and security staff, leaving fans in the galleries struggling for a glimpse.

Messi walked only a short distance, waved briefly as chants of “Messi, Messi” echoed across the stadium, and then turned back midway. It soon became clear that he would not complete the planned circuit of the ground, prompting louder chants of “We want Messi.”

As word spread that the football icon had left early, tempers flared. Bottles and plastic chairs were thrown, sponsor banners and hoardings were ripped down, fibreglass seats were broken, and barricades were pushed aside as some spectators attempted to enter the field.

Repeated announcements over the public address system urging unauthorised individuals to vacate the ground were largely ignored. Within minutes, hundreds of fans spilled onto the pitch, damaging temporary structures and equipment near the boundary. Police struggled to regain control, forcing the deployment of the Rapid Action Force inside the stadium.

Tickets for the event were priced between ₹4,500 and ₹10,000, with many fans arriving early in the morning hoping for a close view of the footballing great. The chaos also led to the programme being cut short, leaving several invited guests—including actor Shah Rukh Khan, former India cricket captain Sourav Ganguly and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee—unable to participate as scheduled.

An angry spectator, Ajay Shah, told PTI, “We paid thousands of rupees but couldn’t even see Messi. People have spent a month’s salary to be here. I came with my son to watch Messi, not politicians. The management failed completely—there wasn’t even drinking water.”

**Prime organiser detained**

Later in the day, police detained Satadru Datta, the chief organiser of the event, over alleged mismanagement that led to the unrest. Datta was detained at Kolkata airport while seeing off Messi and his entourage, who later departed for Hyderabad.

“We are examining whether mismanagement by the organisers triggered the chaos. He has been detained, and the situation is now under control,” West Bengal DGP Rajeev Kumar said, adding that the organiser had provided a written assurance to refund ticket money to disappointed spectators.

Earlier, Shah Rukh Khan had met Messi in Kolkata as part of the GOAT India Tour 2025. Messi, accompanied by Suárez and De Paul, had last visited India in 2011, when he captained Argentina in a match against Venezuela at the same venue.