Messi Tour Sparks Debate Over Crores Spent While Indian Football Struggles: 'Celebrating...'

Star East Bengal goalkeeper Debjit Majumder has followed Sandesh Jhingan into expressing his displeasure at the crores of rupees spent on Lionel Messi’s GOAT India Tour, at a time when Indian football has reached rock bottom and is not able to find any investors.

Messi’s tour drew criticism for its exorbitant prices and the overhyping of the star, including the commissioning of a statue in Kolkata. After the event at Salt Lake Stadium, tensions escalated as fans rioted and vandalised the historic venue,

long regarded as the mecca of Indian football, a stark reminder of the sport’s fraught status in the nation.

Messi’s three-day tour saw unprecedented public frenzy and huge crowds in Kolkata, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Delhi. The event was a sponsored

one, with crores invested in bringing the Argentine superstar to India.

“As a player, it is truly disheartening to see the ISL not happening. Behind the silence are countless players, coaches, staff and families who have suddenly lost their livelihoods,” Majumder wrote on his social media handles.

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“Football isn’t just a game. It is a profession, a dream and a means of survival for many. Nearly ₹150 crore was spent on a single Messi tour, while with that same amount, we might have sustained two leagues, protected jobs and kept the ecosystem alive,” Majumder said.

“Celebrating global icons is understandable, but neglecting our own football hurts deeply. If we truly love the sport, the love must extend beyond moments of spectacle to long-term commitment,” Majumder added. 

On Wednesday, Jhingan had said that the unprecedented public response to the tour headlined by Messi, along with Rodrigo de Paul and Luis Suarez, laid bare the country’s priorities.

“I am aware of the criticism that comes our way and I accept responsibility for performances. But football does not exist in isolation. Anyone who truly understands the game knows how profoundly structure, stability and belief influence what ultimately happens on the pitch,” Jhingan had written.