The highly anticipated Lionel Messi's G.O.A.T India Tour 2025, which was touted to be historic, started on a shaky foot at the most hyped Kolkata leg, as a result of the widespread ruckus that broke out at the Salt Lake Stadium.
Disorder from the very moment Messi arrived
Messi arrived at the Salt Lake Stadium roughly at 11:15 am, which is way ahead of the timing, taking everyone by surprise, including his fans who had paid a hefty sum of money for a chance to even have a glimpse of the football legend. The Argentine footballer, who had been anticipated to remain at the event for a total of 45 minutes, cut his stay short by a quarter, exiting the venue within 10 to 15 minutes.
Also Read | Lionel Messi's G.O.A.T event organiser Satadru Dutta detained by police
Vandalism and crowd unrest
The situation worsened when Messi failed to undertake a lap of honour and exited the Saltlake Stadium abruptly. Bottles were hurled into the pitch, seats were overturned, banners and posters were torn down, Stadium properties were vandalised, and the stage arrangement was destroyed. The Kolkata police, as usual, struggled to control the situation, with obvious baton charges being used later to keep distant fans from the stands. Overcrowding, with a large turnout of VVIPs, club members, their families, and political followers, was cited as the major factor for the failure of crowd control.
Organiser detained, with compensation talks in
State Police DG Rajiv Kumar has confirmed that Satadru Dutta, the chief organiser of the event, has been detained in connection with the incident that occurred at Yuvabharati Stadium. Additional Director General (Law & Order) Jawad Shamim said that Dutta has been arrested at Kolkata Airport. RJ Kumar further said that the Kolkata Police are negotiating with the organiser to make sure that a full refund is given to the ticket-holding spectators. “There is normalcy now. The second part is the investigation; the FIR has been lodged, and the chief organiser has been arrested... I'm telling you, they (organisers) are promising that they will return (ticket fee to fans). We will see how it can be done,” he said.
Following this, speculations have begun to arise with regard to the future of the remaining schedules for Hyderabad, Mumbai, and Delhi, leaving fans anxious and uncertain.
Meanwhile, News Ei Samay has obtained a fresh schedule for the Hyderabad leg of Messi’s G.O.A.T India Tour. The document notes that the match is set to be kicked off at 19:50, followed by the entry of the Honourable CM at 20:06 and Lionel Messi at 20:07. The arrivals of Rodrigo De Paul and Luis Suárez are scheduled for 20:08, with a hard stop at 20:10. At 20:11, Messi and the CM are slated to dribble with the ball, and a penalty shootout with three shots per team is planned at 20:13.
The entry of Rahul Gandhi is marked at 20:18, and group photos with the teams and children are scheduled between 20:15–20:17. Tiki Taka sessions across four zones are arranged from 20:16–20:32, followed by another penalty shootout at 20:33. A parade around the stadium acknowledging fans is expected at 20:38, while stage events, guest introductions, and felicitation ceremonies are set to be conducted from 20:48–20:59. The schedule concludes with the exit of dignitaries, dispersion announcements, and a final sign-off by 21:10.
