Kolkata’s Salt Lake Stadium descended into chaos on Saturday morning as football superstar Lionel Messi arrived for a highly anticipated visit, leaving thousands of fans frustrated and disappointed.
The Argentine legend is in India for a three-day promotional GOAT tour, with stops scheduled in Hyderabad, Mumbai, and New Delhi in addition to Kolkata. Messi reached the city early Saturday and headed to the stadium after a brief rest.
What was meant to be a memorable public appearance quickly turned sour due to severe lapses in crowd control and security arrangements. Shortly after Messi’s entry, he was engulfed by a swarm of politicians, police personnel, VIPs, and their entourages, creating an impenetrable barrier that blocked ordinary ticket-holding fans from seeing him.
Appearing perplexed yet accommodating, Messi signed autographs for former players and attempted a lap around the venue. However, the situation deteriorated rapidly.
With the crowd growing increasingly restless, Messi was hastily escorted out after just 22 minutes—far short of the planned one-hour session. In the aftermath, furious fans hurled water bottles and chairs, damaged two canopies set up for the event, and even tore down parts of an enclosure reserved for West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, with some attempting to set it ablaze before police stepped in.
Most attendees departed without catching even a fleeting sight of the icon. Among them was a particularly dedicated supporter who, in an interview with PTI, revealed he had walked out on his own wedding ceremony to attend.
“Everybody in Kolkata knew Messi was set to arrive. I have my wedding today, I have left it to see Messi. Even after that, my expectations have not been met,” the fan told PTI.
He added that while Messi’s mere presence in the city brought some joy, the poorly handled event exceeded his worst expectations.
The incident highlighted significant organizational shortcomings, turning what could have been a celebratory moment into one of widespread discontent.
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