RPSG Chairman Sanjiv Goenka with GOAT of Football - Messi. [RevSportz] pic.twitter.com/2NNuNacvaJ

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) December 13, 2025

Leo Messi’s unveiling the 70 feet statue of him in Kolkata.
He talks about how he’s “happy to be here” pic.twitter.com/1690fKRx1X

— We Are Messi 🔟 (@WeAreMessi) December 13, 2025

VIDEO | Kolkata: Football icon Lionel Messi to virtually unveil his 70-foot statue from Salt Lake stadium, with West Bengal Minister Sujit Bose and Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan present at the event.#LionelMessi #Kolkata #Football
(Full VIDEO available on PTI Videos –… pic.twitter.com/dqISIwMgl4

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) December 13, 2025

There you go! Messi has virtually unveiled his 70 foot statue in Kolkata. Visuals from Kolkata show Shah Rukh Khan and his son AbRam are with Messi currently. This is the first such statue of Messi in India.

The Lionel Messi ceremony has started in Yuva Bharati Krirangan. Aneek Dhar is performing currently. In some time from now, Messi will arrive at the stadium! 

Speaking to news ANI, Sujit Bose said Messi and his team had given their consent for the statue and expressed their happiness after seeing it. He added that the club has been in constant touch with Messi's management and that further interaction with the footballer is expected.

"We have talked to his manager, and today we will talk to Messi. He gave his consent for the statue and they are also happy," Bose told ANI.

West Bengal Minister and Sree Bhumi Sporting Club President Sujit Bose on Saturday said that football icon Lionel Messi and his team are happy with the 70-foot statue installed at the Sree Bhumi Sporting Club in Lake Town, Kolkata. Messi, who is in the city to kick off his GOAT Tour India 2025, is scheduled to virtually unveil the statue today.

The Sree Bhumi Sporting Club has completed the installation of a towering 70-foot iron statue in admiration of the Argentine football legend at Lake Town in South Dum Dum, Kolkata. The statue portrays Messi holding the FIFA World Cup trophy, symbolising his historic World Cup triumph and has drawn significant attention from football fans across the city and beyond. The statue will be virtually unveiled by Messi himself, adding to the excitement surrounding his visit.

The lobby of the Hyatt Regency hotel in Kolkata, where the Argentine great is staying, turned chaotic as fans sprinted across corridors shouting "Messi! Messi!" According to news agency PTI, Messi checked into Room 730, with the entire seventh floor sealed off to ensure no movement around his suite. Check full details here 

With Messi's arrival in India, excitement is at an all-time high, and fans have prepared for a grand celebration in the city. However, one female fan stood out with an unusual placard that grabbed everyone's attention.

"We have come here to see Messi. (About the placard) Yes, it was written by me. I got married last Friday, but my husband and I decided to postpone our honeymoon because Messi is coming to our city," she said. Read full story here

This Messi statue in Kolkata, India
pic.twitter.com/J8gWdIR92r

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) December 12, 2025

In the evening leg of Messi's itinerary in Hyderabad on Saturday, Messi will team up with Luis Suarez and Rodrigo de Paul for a football clinic. A 7-a-side match, a celebrity game, with chief minister Revanth Reddy cheering from the sidelines has been planned as well

Leo Messi llegó a India para el GOAT Tour.
📹 vía @ArjyaNeel https://t.co/UgSv4IWAKt pic.twitter.com/DBs1jkLEKm

— Corta (@somoscorta) December 12, 2025

Messi will be in India for three days starting Saturday. On December 13 (Saturday), Messi will spend majority of the time in Kolkata before going to Hyderabad in the evening. For the Kolkata leg, this is the likely schedule: 

9:30 am to 10:30 am: VIP meet-and-greet

10:30 am to 11:15 am: To inagurate 70 feet statue virtually 

11:15 am: To leave For Yuva Bharati Krirangan. Shah Rukh Khan and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee will arrive too 

12 noon to 12:30 pm: Celebrity football match, felicitation

Lionel Messi is a three-day tour in India, where he will covering four cities. The cities are Kolkata, Hyderabad (December 13), Mumbai (December 14), and New Delhi (December 15). Check his full schedule here. 

VIDEO | West Bengal: Argentine footballer Lionel Messi arrived at Kolkata Airport accompanied by Luis Suarez and Rodrigo De Paul.
(Source: Third Party)#LionelMessi
(Full video available on PTI Videos – https://t.co/n147TvrpG7) pic.twitter.com/nNVfGvfpnX

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) December 12, 2025

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the the Argentinian Football great Lionel Messi's much-awaited GOAT India Tour. Stay tuned for all the live updates.