Congress
leader Rahul Gandhi met Argentine football legend Lionel Messi in Hyderabad on Saturday as the superstar arrived for the second leg of his GOAT India Tour 2025. During the meeting at Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium, Messi presented a signed jersey to the Congress MP, and the two shared a brief interaction.Speaking to fans in the city of the Nizams, Messi expressed his gratitude, saying, “Thank you all for the love I’ve received today and always.”
Also Read | ‘Messi Dikha Nahi, Carpet Le Ja Raha Hoon’: Kolkata Fan’s Protest Goes Viral After GOAT Tour Chaos - Watch"The truth is that I've seen a lot of things before getting here, throughout this whole time, during the last World Cup, and honestly thank you so much for all this love. It's an honor for us to be able to share these days here in India with you, so I'm truly grateful," he said.Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy was also at the event and, before Rahul Gandhi’s arrival, shared a few casual moments on the ground, kicking the ball with Messi.
Also Read |'Skipped My Wedding for Messi’: Why Were Thousands of Kolkata Fans Left Angry and Disappointed?The first leg of Messi’s GOAT Tour in Kolkata, however, was overshadowed by chaos and controversy, leaving fans frustrated and disappointed. Around 50,000 spectators, who had paid between Rs 4,000 and Rs 12,000 - with some tickets reportedly reaching Rs 20,000 on the black market - barely caught a glimpse of the football superstar. Messi was constantly surrounded by politicians, VVIPs, and security personnel at Salt Lake Stadium, many of whom seemed more focused on selfies than managing the crowd.
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