Lionel Messi India Tour 2025: Satadru Dutta faces arrest as poor management sparks outrage, Kolkata fans break chairs and accuse organisers of 'fraud'

The tension began when Messi arrived at the stadium around 11:15 a.m. but remained visible for only around twenty minutes. Instead of an open view for the crowd the pitch was filled with VVIPs political guests and officials blocking fans from even seeing the player.

One supporter shouted, “We waited for hours and he stayed only minutes. This is cheating.” Another fan online wrote, “This event was a total scam. We deserve our money back.” Fans break chairs throw bottles and storm areas of the stadium. Messi was escorted out when the crowd erupted. Plastic bottles flew across the pitch. Fibreglass seats were torn out and thrown. Barricades were pushed down and parts of the stage were damaged.

Police struggled to control the situation and even used baton charges to disperse sections of the crowd. A viewer posted a viral clip saying “We paid ten thousand rupees for this. What a mess.”

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee apologised to fans and expressed her disappointment at the mismanagement. She called for a detailed probe into how an event of this scale collapsed so quickly. Senior officials said the priority is to compensate fans and ensure accountability.

Satadru Dutta is well known in the sports promotion industry and has previously brought global icons like Pelé Diego Maradona Cafu and Emiliano Martínez to India.

He marketed the Messi GOAT Tour as a landmark private initiative with major sponsors and a multi city plan covering Kolkata Hyderabad Mumbai and New Delhi.

The arrest has cast doubt over the remaining events of the tour. Messi has already flown to Hyderabad for a scheduled exhibition match but officials and sponsors are reassessing security arrangements.