Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy expressed his gratitude to Argentine World Cup-winner Lionel Messi for gracing the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium with his presence on Saturday during Day 1 of
the GOAT India Tour.
Messi appeared comfortable on the field, passing the ball around with teammates Luis Suarez and Rodrigo De Paul, as Reddy also joined in during the Hyderabad leg of the tour.
I wholeheartedly thank G.O.A.T Lionel #Messi … football greats Luis Suarez and Rodrigo de Paul, for accepting our invitation and gracing our city of #Hyderabad and enthralling all our sports lovers especially youth.
We are deeply grateful to our leader Shri @RahulGandhi ji for… pic.twitter.com/byelDzaF7q
— Revanth Reddy (@revanth_anumula) December 14, 2025
“I wholeheartedly thank G.O.A.T Lionel Messi … football greats Luis Suarez and Rodrigo de Paul, for accepting our invitation and gracing our city of #Hyderabad and enthralling all our sports lovers especially youth.”
“We are deeply grateful to our leader Shri Rahul Gandhi ji for joining us and making the evening a memory of a lifetime.”
“I thank and congratulate all officers, security personnel, organisers and staff on duty across the city for ensuring we were able to showcase to the world that Telangana means sports, Telangana means excellence, and Telangana means hospitality.”
“On behalf of my entire government, I thank all sports lovers and fans for their best conduct and disciplined manner in which we played hosts to our guests.”
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner thrilled fans with a few touches before sending lucky spectators home with a memento by kicking a ball into the stands, where excited followers scrambled to catch it. Messi was honoured by Reddy and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi following the exhibition game in Uppal.
Messi arrived in Kolkata early on Saturday morning, greeted with great enthusiasm. Thousands of followers gathered at hotels, streets, and landmarks, hoping to catch a glimpse of the football icon. He unveiled a statue of his likeness at Sree Bhumi Sporting Club in Lake Town, South Dum Dum. The massive statue depicts the legend holding the FIFA World Cup trophy, commemorating his crowning achievement with Argentina in Qatar.
The event marked Messi’s first trip to India since 2011, when he played at the Salt Lake Stadium, helping Argentina edge Venezuela 1-0 in a friendly. Messi’s return was supposed to be a joyous occasion as he walked the Indian shores as a World Champion, fulfilling a dream with his unmatched genius on the grandest stage in Doha.
However, chaos ensued as celebrities and influential people mobbed the star, taking up the time and emotions of the common man, leading to an emotional outburst. The main issue was that fans were denied a clear view of their hero, whom they had come to see with great anticipation, only to feel deceived. Organisers, politicians, and celebrities took the spotlight, using their privileged access to share the stage with the man who captured the dreams of millions.
Messi travelled to Hyderabad after a chaotic visit to Kolkata, where fans who had paid to see the magician from Rosario were left disappointed, and the Telangana leg proved as an ointment for the hurt caused earlier in the day.
