Lionel Messi India tour 2025 turns chaotic in Kolkata: From a fan who missed his wedding to one who spent Rs 12k - all call it a scam

What was meant to be a once-in-a-lifetime celebration for Indian football fans turned into a morning of rage, disbelief, and devastation in Kolkata. Thousands who gathered at Salt Lake Stadium to witness Lionel Messi - many paying as much as ₹14,000 per ticket - left heartbroken after the football icon's highly anticipated appearance ended almost as soon as it began.

Messi, who was accompanied with Luis Suarez and Rodrigo De Paul, scheduled to spend 45 minutes at the stadium, was reportedly present for barely 20. Surrounded tightly by politicians, dignitaries, and security, he remained largely invisible to the very fans who had waited for hours, some sacrificing deeply personal milestones, just to catch a glimpse of him.





The Argentine legend arrived in Kolkata early this morning as part of the first leg of his three-day India tour. After unveiling a statue of himself in the city, Messi proceeded to Salt Lake Stadium, where emotions were already running high.

For many in the stands, this was not just an event - it was the fulfilment of a lifelong dream. But as minutes passed and Messi remained out of sight, excitement quickly gave way to confusion, then anger. Fans began booing officials as frustration rippled through the packed stadium.



Security protocols collapsed as sections of the crowd stormed the field. Chairs and bottles were hurled onto the ground. Parts of the stadium infrastructure were vandalised as organisers struggled to regain control. With tensions escalating rapidly, Messi's lap around the stadium was cut short, and he was swiftly escorted away by organisers of the so-called 'GOAT tour'.

Police forces found themselves overwhelmed, forcing the deployment of riot control units to restore order.





As Messi was rushed to the airport for his next stop in Hyderabad, anger among fans only intensified. Many openly demanded refunds, accusing organisers of gross mismanagement and alleging that the event prioritised VIPs over genuine supporters.

For a city that prides itself on its football culture, the incident has left a deep scar.



Amid the wreckage and disappointment, fans poured out their emotions - grief, fury, and betrayal - in raw, unfiltered words.

One fan said: "All the people you see here love football. We all wanted to see Messi, but it was a total scam. We want our money back."

Another added: "The management was so bad. It is a black day for Kolkata. Kolkata is known for football, and we love football, we love Argentina, but this experience is absolutely a scam."

Pointing to the VIP-heavy presence, a visibly emotional fan said: "The ministers were there with their children, and the other people could not see anything... We are very hurt."

For some, the disappointment cut even deeper. A fan from Kolkata revealed: "It's my wedding day, but I left all the ceremonies to be here just for Messi. Still, the management was so pathetic that I couldn't even see him".

Another fan, who spent heavily on tickets, said: "Only leaders and actors were surrounding Messi...Why did they call us then... We have got a ticket for 12 thousand, but we were not even able to see his face".





As videos of the chaos spread online, questions are mounting over planning failures, crowd management, and whether fans were misled about what they were paying for. For many in Kolkata, what should have been a historic celebration of football ended as a bitter reminder of how quickly dreams can be crushed.

The fallout from Lionel Messi’s Kolkata appearance is far from over.