Explained | What really happened at Lionel Messi’s chaotic Kolkata appearance

Lionel Messi’s much-anticipated Kolkata stop on the ‘G.O.A.T. Tour of India 2025’ unravelled into disorder on Saturday morning, ending abruptly amid crowd chaos and allegations of poor event management at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (Salt Lake Stadium). What was billed as a two-hour celebration featuring the Argentine football icon alongside prominent Indian personalities instead wrapped up in under 30 minutes, leaving fans angry and organisers under scrutiny.

Messi, accompanied by Inter Miami teammates Luis Suárez and Rodrigo de Paul, arrived in Kolkata around 2.30 am on Saturday. The excitement was palpable well before dawn, with hundreds of fans lining streets and hotel entrances hoping to catch a glimpse of the World Cup winner. Later in the morning, a planned unveiling of a 70-foot statue of Messi in Lake Town took place remotely from his hotel at around 10 am. Shortly after, Messi met actor Shah Rukh Khan and Mohun Bagan Super Giants owner Sanjiv Goenka at the Hyatt Regency, where photographs of the interaction were shared, further fuelling anticipation ahead of the stadium event.

By the time Messi reached Salt Lake Stadium, tens of thousands of spectators had filled the stands. The programme was meant to include a ceremonial lap around the ground, followed by meetings with Shah Rukh Khan, former Indian cricket captain Sourav Ganguly and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. However, the situation deteriorated almost immediately. According to on-ground reports, Messi remained closely surrounded by politicians, officials and security personnel, making him barely visible to much of the crowd. As frustration mounted among fans who had paid substantial sums for tickets, booing began, followed by the throwing of bottles and chairs from sections of the stands. The unrest escalated quickly, prompting security to cut short Messi’s appearance and escort him out of the stadium. NDTV confirmed that Messi was present at the venue for roughly 20 minutes, far short of the scheduled duration. None of the planned meetings with Shah Rukh Khan, Ganguly or Chief Minister Banerjee took place at the stadium.

The abrupt end sparked visible anger among attendees, with parts of the stadium sustaining damage amid the vandalism. The episode soon drew a political response. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee issued a public apology to Messi and football fans, expressing shock at what she described as serious mismanagement. Announcing the formation of an inquiry committee, Banerjee said the state government would examine how the situation spiralled out of control. “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 this unfortunate incident,” she said in a statement. Despite the chaos in Kolkata, Messi was scheduled to continue the tour with a visit to Hyderabad later on Saturday for an exhibition event with Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy. However, the opening leg of the ‘G.O.A.T. Tour of India’ has already been overshadowed by embarrassment, questions over crowd control, and the credibility of large-scale celebrity sporting events in India.