Lionel Messi's G.O.A.T tour at Kolkata’s Salt Lake Stadium was quite different from what the audience had been expecting. The maiden match of the GOAT India Tour 2025 has been marred by discontent and confusion following the abrupt end of the Argentine football legend’s event.
The longer the situation continued, the more scenes of disorder inside the stadium emerged, with damage to seating, throwing of bottles, and attempts to force entry into restricted areas. Security officials later intervened to bring the situation under control.
The viral carpet protest
Amidst the chaos, a supporter from the crowd unexpectedly became the representative of the evening. A video that went viral on social media showed a supporter who seemed disgruntled rolling a floor carpet from the stadium with him because he could not get a clear glimpse of Messi, whom he paid a ticket price of Rs 10,000 to see.
Talking in his native language, the fan jokingly said, "Messi ka face tak dikhai nahi diya. Camera mein mera face mat dikhana. Carpet le ke ja raha hoon. Itna paisa diya hai. Ghar mein practice karunga," roughly translated: "I couldn’t even see Messi’s face. Don’t show my face on camera. I’m taking the carpet with me. I paid so much money. I’ll practise at home.” This calm, sarcastic reaction from a fan echoed with the online audience.
The internet reacts with memes
The incident didn’t take long to be immortalised in memes on social media platforms. User accounts quickly hailed him as the “most practical Messi fan in history, while others said that the carpet stayed longer at the stadium than Messi. The video quickly became one of the most shared images from the event.
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Fans express their hatred
The carpet-carrying fan is not alone in his discontent. Some people are irate because watching Messi’s appearance has been obstructed by VIPs and security personnel. "I attended this event because I had to skip my wedding ceremony, but now, I am returning home without watching him properly," a fan told PTI.
The return of Messi to India after a span of long span was expected to be historical, with Kolkata, referred to as the 'Mecca of Indian Football,' set to host the inaugural match. This, unfortunately, has been overshadowed by the exit from the stadium, which has left the support base sore with despair.
