Rs 1 Crore For Handshake, High Security - Delhi Rolls Out Red Carpet For Lionel Messi
Argentina's World Cup-winning captain, Lionel Messi, will touch down in Delhi at 10:45 AM, and the city is ready for a day of high security, high-profile meetings, and even higher stakes.
Argentina's World Cup-winning captain, Lionel Messi, will touch down in Delhi at 10:45 AM, and the city is ready for a day of high security, high-profile meetings, and even higher stakes. Messi and his entourage will check into The Leela Palace, at Chanakyapuri, where an entire floor has been reserved exclusively for them. The Argentine squad will be housed in the hotel's Presidential Suites, each reportedly priced between Rs 3.5 lakh and Rs 7 lakh per night. According to sources, hotel staff have been placed under strict instructions not to share any details about Messi's stay.
Fortress Leela
The drive from the airport to the hotel will take roughly 30 minutes, but the atmosphere around the Leela Palace is anything but routine. After scenes witnessed during Messi's earlier stops in India, security around the Delhi hotel has been tightened to the level of a high-security zone, effectively turning it into an impenetrable fortress.
Crores for a Handshake
A closed-door 'meet and greet' has been lined up at the hotel for select corporate and VIP guests. According to NDTV inputs, access to this exclusive interaction has come at a staggering cost - some corporates reportedly spending up to Rs 1 crore for the opportunity to meet the football icon.
Meetings at the Very Top
During his brief Delhi visit, Messi is scheduled to meet Chief Justice of India, several parliamentarians, and a handpicked group of Indian sporting stars, including cricketers and Olympic and Paralympic medal winners.
Cricket, Culture, and Champions
Messi is expected to visit the Arun Jaitley Stadium, where a football clinic is planned, alongside interactions with a select group of Indian cricketers. From there, the Argentine captain will head to Purana Qila for a special event hosted by Adidas.
At the Old Fort, Messi will meet Indian sporting champions including Rohit Sharma, Paralympic javelin gold medallist Sumit Antil, boxing world champion Nikhat Zareen, and Olympic high jump medallist Nishad Kumar.
Messi is scheduled to leave for the airport around 6:15 PM and depart India at approximately 8:00 PM-bringing an end to a whirlwind Delhi stop that blends power, sport, and celebrity at the highest level.
Lionel Messi