What Led To Lionel Messi's Kolkata Event Turning Into Total Chaos - Explained

Lionel Messi's Kolkata leg of the 'G.O.A.T. Tour of India 2025' ended in shambles on Saturday morning. Fans were unable to get a glimpse of the Argentina football icon due to him being surrounded by several people, ultimately leading to chaos and vandalisation at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (VYBK) Stadium in Salt Lake, Kolkata. What should have been a two-hour-long event - during which Messi was supposed to meet superstar actor Shah Rukh Khan, cricket legend Sourav Ganguly and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee - ended in less than half an hour, leaving fans extremely upset. Here's an entire timeline of how events unfolded:

Lionel Messi reaches Kolkata early hours of Saturday

Messi, along with Inter Miami teammates Luis Suarez and Rodrigo de Paul, arrived at Kolkata at 2:30 AM local time on Saturday morning. The hype had already begun, with hundreds of fans gathering on the streets of Kolkata well past midnight to greet Messi.

Messi unveils 70ft statue, meets Shah Rukh Khan

Lionel Messi was not directly present at Lake Town in Kolkata to unveil his 70ft-tall statue, instead doing it remotely from his hotel at around 10:00 AM.

Soon after, Messi met and clicked photos with actor Shah Rukh Khan and Mohun Bagan Super Giants (MBSG) owner Sanjiv Goenka at Hyatt Regency, Kolkata.

Messi arrives at Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata

The Argentina football great, along with Suarez and de Paul, arrived at the iconic Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata, where tens of thousands of fans were in attendance. He was supposed to take a lap around the stadium, before meeting with Shah Rukh, Sourav Ganguly, and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

However, things soured quickly.

Fans unable to see Messi; vandalisation begins, Messi leaves early

According to NDTV reporter Rittick Mondal, Messi was surrounded by several dignitaries and politicians throughout his short stay at the Salt Lake Stadium, leading to fans in the stands barely being able to spot him. This eventually led to disgruntled fans, who showed their disapproval by booing officials and throwing chairs and bottles.

Amidst the erupting chaos, Messi's lap around the stadium was cut short and he was whisked away from the stadium by security. The 38-year-old was present at the Salt Lake Stadium for only 20 minutes, NDTV can confirm.

No meeting with Shah Rukh, Ganguly or Mamata Banerjee took place.

Angry fans show disapproval

Fans, who had paid thousands of rupees to attend the event, were left visibly disappointed. Several chairs and bottles were thrown by fans from the stands, leading to parts of the stadium being damaged.

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee issues apology

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee issued a public apology to Lionel Messi and his fans in Kolkata over the chaos that unfolded at his event at Salt Lake Stadium this morning. Banerjee said she was shocked by the "mismanagement" and announced an inquiry committee to probe what led to the nightmarish turn of events.

"I am deeply disturbed and shocked by the mismanagement witnessed today at Salt Lake Stadium. I sincerely apologise to Lionel Messi, as well as to all sports lovers and his fans, for the unfortunate incident," said Banerjee.

What happens next?

Lionel Messi is set to visit Hyderabad later on Saturday to play an exhibition match with Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy. However, the first leg of his 'G.O.A.T. Tour of India' has begun in embarrassment.

Topics mentioned in this article

Lionel Messi Rodrigo de Paul Luis Suarez Argentina India Football