Angry fans attending Lionel Messi’s tour in India tore up seats and hurled objects toward the field after the football star made only a brief appearance at Kolkata’s Salt Lake Stadium.
Thousands of supporters had paid up to 12,000 rupees (£100; $133) for the chance to see the Argentinian icon, but were left disappointed when he emerged only to walk around the pitch while obscured by a large entourage of officials and celebrities.
When Messi, the Inter Miami and Argentina forward, was escorted away by security after roughly 20 minutes, sections of the crowd turned hostile.
West Bengal’s Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee, stated she was “deeply disturbed and shocked” by the incident.
Messi is visiting India for his “GOAT Tour,” a series of promotional appearances in Kolkata, Hyderabad, Mumbai, and Delhi.
The tour began with the virtual unveiling of a 70-foot statue of Messi in Kolkata, which took a 45-person crew 27 days to assemble. Due to security concerns, Messi appeared via video link for the unveiling.
Thousands later traveled to the stadium hoping to see him in person, chanting, buying jerseys, and wearing “I love Messi” headbands.
After his early departure on Saturday, frustrated fans stormed the field, vandalizing banners and tents, while others threw plastic chairs and water bottles.
The 2022 World Cup winner—widely regarded as one of football’s greatest players—had been expected to play a short exhibition match, according to AFP.
“Only leaders and actors were surrounding Messi… Why did they call us then? We have got a ticket for 12,000 rupees, but we were not even able to see his face,” one fan at the stadium told the ANI news agency.
Another angry fan told the Press Trust of India that people had paid the equivalent of a month’s salary to see the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner.
“I paid Rs 5,000 for the ticket and came with my son to watch Messi, not politicians. The police and military personnel were taking selfies, and the management is to blame,” the fan said.
Messi was accompanied on his brief visit by Inter Miami teammate Luis Suárez and Argentina’s Rodrigo De Paul.
Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan also met with Messi earlier in the day, Reuters reported.
Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal, is known for its passionate football culture in a cricket-dominated country, where local club derbies regularly draw hundreds of thousands of spectators.
The Source has contacted Messi’s representatives for comment.
Chief Minister Banerjee announced an inquiry and apologized to Messi and “sports lovers” for the stadium incident.
“The committee will conduct a detailed enquiry into the incident, fix responsibility, and recommend measures to prevent such occurrences in the future,” she posted on X.
A police official told AFP that the event’s “chief organiser” had been arrested, and authorities would explore refunds for ticket holders.
The All India Football Federation clarified it was not involved in the “private event.”
Earlier on Saturday, thousands had lined roads and gathered outside Messi’s hotel hoping to see him.
Hitesh, a 24-year-old corporate lawyer, flew nearly 1,900 kilometers from Bengaluru for the event.
“For me it’s personal. You can see I am quite short, and I love to play football with my friends,” Hitesh told the BBC in front of the statue. “Messi is the player I related with the most, no one can match his talent. He gives me hope that with talent you can do anything.”
The tour also includes a “Hola Messi” fan zone featuring a life-sized replica of Messi on a throne, a hall displaying replica trophies, and a recreation of his Miami home complete with mannequins of the player and his family.
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Source: BBC