What was expected to be a memorable event for Indian football fans turned into chaos on Wednesday, leaving thousands disappointed and angry. Kolkata, the City of Joy, had woken up to excitement over Argentine
football legend Lionel Messi’s much-anticipated appearance as part of the G.O.A.T. Tour. However, the visit ended within minutes, sparking outrage among fans gathered at the Yuva Bharati Krirangan (Salt Lake Stadium).Messi arrived at the stadium around 11:15 am but stayed only briefly. The 2022 World Cup winner was expected to take a full lap of the stadium and interact with fans, but that did not happen. He waved a few times before being escorted out, leaving spectators frustrated. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed her shock at the mismanagement at the Salt Lake Stadium event."I am deeply disturbed and shocked by the mismanagement witnessed today at Salt Lake Stadium. I was on my way to the stadium to attend the event along with thousands of sports lovers and fans who had gathered to catch a glimpse of their favourite footballer, Lionel Messi," the West Bengal Chief Minister said.
"I sincerely apologise to Lionel Messi, as well as to all sports lovers and his fans, for the unfortunate incident," her post on X further read. Meanwhile, a probe has been ordered under the chairmanship of Justice (Retd.) Ashim Kumar Ray, with the Chief Secretary and the Additional Chief Secretary, Home and Hill Affairs Department, as members. "I am constituting an enquiry committee under the chairmanship of Justice (Retd.) Ashim Kumar Ray, with the Chief Secretary and the Additional Chief Secretary, Home and Hill Affairs Department, as members. The committee will conduct a detailed enquiry into the incident, fix responsibility, and recommend measures to prevent such occurrences in the future," the CM said.
Lionel Messi India Tour 2025 Live Updates Fans had paid between Rs 5,000 and Rs 25,000 for tickets, with many claiming they could not even catch a proper glimpse of the football icon. Social media was flooded with criticism, with many users blaming Bengal Sports Minister Arup Biswas for what they described as the “hijacking” of the event and denying fans a clear view of Messi.
Anger mounted inside the stadium as fans accused organisers and government officials of gross mismanagement.“Absolutely terrible event. He came for just 10 minutes. All the leaders and ministers surrounded him. We couldn't see anything. He didn't take a single kick or a single penalty. He came for 10 minutes and left. So much money, emotions, and time wasted. We couldn't see anything...” a dejected audience member said.“We have given so much money for this event and the most important thing is that Messi has come for this event and what message we have given to him... The sports minister is clicking a picture with Messi, and everyone is trying to manage the people... I don't know about Shah Rukh Khan, whether he came or not... It is very shameful for the event management and the government as well,” a fan of star footballer Lionel Messi told ANI.“It is very disappointing that after paying such a hefty amount. They had 50 people around him, and we could not even get a glimpse of him for once... He just waved a couple of times, and that's it,” another fan said.The situation escalated after Messi briefly emerged from the tunnel, with chaos breaking out inside the stadium. One person was reportedly injured as angry fans vandalised parts of the Salt Lake Stadium, alleging poor crowd control and event planning.Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan, former India cricket captain Sourav Ganguly, and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who were scheduled to be part of the programme, could not participate as the event was cut short.Promoter Shatadru Datta, organiser of the G.O.A.T. Tour, along with security personnel, escorted Messi out of the venue amid growing unrest. Following his exit, fans were seen throwing bottles and chairs onto the field, while several others ran onto the ground and damaged canopies set up for the event.
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