Kolkata, India hosted a chaotic frist stop on Lionel Messi‘s “GOAT Tour” on Saturday, as a brief appearance by the football superstar led to fan unrest and damage to the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan stadium [[1]]. Despite a hero’s welcome and a newly unveiled 70-foot statue in his honor,attendees expressed frustration over limited viewing opportunities and Messi’s swift departure following a ceremonial lap [[2]]. Authorities have since detained organizers and launched an investigation into the incident, which included fans throwing bottles and tearing up seats [[3]].
KOLKATA – Lionel Messi’s highly anticipated tour of India got off to a chaotic start Saturday, as frustrated fans threw bottles and damaged stadium property after a brief appearance by the Argentine superstar. Many attendees reported feeling scammed after Messi left the field prematurely due to organizational issues.
The 38-year-old Messi, a global icon, received a hero’s welcome upon arriving at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan stadium in West Bengal, with supporters chanting his name.
According to Times of India, numerous ticket holders at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata said they were unable to see Messi, either in person or on the stadium’s jumbotrons, despite waiting for hours.
Reports indicate the World Cup champion completed a lap around the field to greet the crowd before quickly departing, despite being scheduled to play for a short period. The anger of some fans, many of whom had paid over US$100 for tickets, quickly boiled over. Seats were ripped up and thrown onto the pitch, along with water bottles, and some fans even invaded the playing surface.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee issued an apology to the Argentine football icon for the “mismanagement” of the event.
In a social media post, Banerjee said she was “deeply distressed and shocked by the mismanagement witnessed today at the Salt Lake Stadium,” and also apologized to fans who had waited for hours after paying for entry.
Banerjee announced the formation of a committee to “conduct a detailed investigation into the incident, fix responsibility and recommend measures to prevent recurrence in the future.”
“Seeing Messi was a dream,” lamented Nabin Chatterjee, a 37-year-old businessman, to AFP. “But I didn’t get the chance to see him due to the disorganization at the stadium.” “I came with my son to see Messi, not politicians,” angrily stated Ajay Shah, as quoted by the Press Trust of India, adding that while he couldn’t see the star, security personnel were taking selfies with him.
A state police official, Javed Shamim, announced that “the head of the organization” had been detained. He did not provide further details, but added that authorities were looking into how to refund ticket holders.
Messi has already left Kolkata and arrived in Hyderabad, where he met with the Chief Minister of Telangana, Revanth Reddy, and visited the Taj Falaknuma Palace.
The three-day “GOAT India Tour” will take the World Cup winner from Kolkata to Hyderabad and then Mumbai before concluding in New Delhi on Monday. He is accompanied by Inter Miami teammates Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul.
Earlier Saturday, Messi remotely unveiled a 21-meter (70-foot) statue of himself in Kolkata.
The sculpture – located in Kolkata – is made of iron and stands 21 meters tall. Its main sculptor is Monti Paul, although promotions on the streets highlight Sujit Bose, an Indian politician who is the Minister of West Bengal and president of Sree Bhumi Sporting Club, a club located a few kilometers from Kolkata, as the promoter of the tribute.
“It is a matter of pride to erect the sculpture of Messi. It is the tallest statue I have made,” said Paul, who took 40 days to complete it. The metal representation depicts the Argentina captain – a favorite of many in India – lifting the World Cup trophy he won at Qatar 2022.
Agencies AP and AFP.
