Meeting SRK, Celebrity Match: All You Need To Know As Lionel Messi's GOAT Tour Of India Begins Today

If anyone feels the ground shake at 1:30 AM on Friday morning, the advisory says not to panic, because Lionel Messi will be touching down in India. The World Cup-winning captain, the eight-time Ballon d'Or magnet, the man who somehow bends physics for a living, is arriving for a whirlwind three-day GOAT Tour. This will be his second visit to India after 2011. Across four cities-Kolkata, Hyderabad, Mumbai, and New Delhi-the tour promises to unfold like a glitter-dusted football carnival, equal parts madness and magic. Everywhere Messi goes, he will leave behind a trail of screaming fans, flashing cameras, and moments that feel instantly historic.

KOLKATA - DECEMBER 13

The City of Joy Gets Ready for the King of Joy

Messi will arrive when Kolkata is supposed to be asleep, but in this city, sleep rarely stands a chance against football. The real madness will erupt the next morning, when fans gather around Lake Town to admire a newly unveiled 70-foot statue of Messi, the tallest statue ever made for a footballer.

It stands right beside a replica of Big Ben, on the same street where Diego Maradona unveiled his statue in 2017.

Through the day, the city will move at a feverish pace. Salt Lake Stadium is expected to roar at full strength with more than 75,000 seats open, while the city's cultural universe will add its own stardust with Shah Rukh Khan joining the celebrations. Messi will also meet Sourav Ganguly and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee before hopping on a flight to Hyderabad to continue the frenzy.

HYDERABAD - DECEMBER 13

A Royal Evening for Football Royalty

Hyderabad will offer Messi a completely different flavour: regal, glowing, elegant.

From the crowded streets of Kolkata to the royal charm of the Taj Falaknuma Palace, the GOAT Tour will slip into a more luxurious rhythm. The city has already made headlines with one staggering number- Rs 9.95 lakh plus GST for a single photograph with Messi. Only a hundred people managed to buy the chance, and every spot has been sold out.

At Uppal Stadium, Messi will join long-time friend Luis Suarez and Argentina teammate Rodrigo de Paul for an evening of football. A clinic, a seven-a-side match, and a celebrity game are planned, with Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy likely to cheer from the sidelines.

MUMBAI - DECEMBER 14

Where Football Glam Meets Bollywood Glam

Mumbai will mark the moment when the GOAT Tour becomes a spectacle of sport and stardom merging into each other. Messi will land just before noon, and the city will be ready to explode into a strange but unforgettable blend of Bollywood glamour and football fever. Wankhede Stadium is expected to feel less like a venue and more like a runway as Mumbai's celebrities and sporting icons gather under one roof.

Messi's day in Mumbai includes a Padel Cup at CCI, followed by a celebrity football match, a charity fashion show where Messi, Suarez, and De Paul are expected to walk the ramp, and a mega event at Wankhede that could feature appearances from MS Dhoni or Karishma Kapoor. There is even the possibility of a handshake between Messi and Sachin Tendulkar-a rare meeting of two G.O.A.T.s from two different worlds.

DELHI - DECEMBER 15

The Grand Finale

The capital will host the final chapter of Messi's India tour. He will arrive in Delhi at 10:45 AM, followed by a meet-and-greet session and a high-profile meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. A football clinic is scheduled at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, giving young players a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be coached by the greatest to ever play the sport. By 7 PM, Messi will take flight out of India.

But all this grandness comes with grand prices. Tickets begin at Rs 4,000 and rise to Rs 25,000, while Hyderabad's photo-op touched nearly Rs 10 lakh. The irony is hard to miss: not long ago, the AIFF declined an opportunity to host Argentina for a friendly because the cost, Rs 32 to 40 crore, seemed too steep. Today, Messi's privately run tour is fully booked, heavily sponsored, and eagerly awaited in every city he will touch.

A Test of India's Football Dream

More than a tour, this is a test of India's football passion. Can fans fill stadiums at noon on a weekday? Can the country handle global-scale sporting chaos? And can this moment fuel the dreams of young players juggling a football on terraces, gullies, and school grounds?

For three unforgettable days, India gets to show the world that football lives here too, loudly, proudly, and in Messi-sized proportions.

Topics mentioned in this article

Argentina India Lionel Messi Rodrigo de Paul Luis Suarez Sourav Ganguly Virat Kohli MS Dhoni Shubman Gill Football