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From ‘Messi’ Chants To Kamiya Jani’s Fan Moment At Wankhede, Inside Lionel Messi’s Electric Night In Mumbai!

From chants and emotional moments to celebrity appearances and fans witnessing once-in-a-lifetime memories, this night united football and cricket like never before.

by Mallika Khurana
From ‘Messi’ Chants To Kamiya Jani’s Fan Moment At Wankhede, Inside Lionel Messi’s Electric Night In Mumbai!

Mumbai knows how to celebrate its heroes. But the day Lionel Messi walked into the Wankhede Stadium, the city celebrated a memory that will be spoken about for years. People were there to witness history. After all, how often does the world’s greatest footballer step onto the same ground where India lifted the 2011 Cricket World Cup? And this day was filled with highlights we will all be talking about for years to come!

Lionel Messi’s Mumbai Visit Turns Wankhede Into A Festival

As Lionel Messi arrived at the Wankhede along with Inter Miami teammates Luis Suárez and Rodrigo de Paul, the stadium erupted. Chants of “Messi! Messi!” grew louder with every step he took. Then came a moment no one expected, but everyone will remember forever. Sachin Tendulkar walked out to the centre of the ground. Suddenly, the chants changed to “Sachin! Sachin!,” mixing with “Messi! Messi!” Two global icons stood side by side at one of India’s most iconic stadiums, and the crowd simply lost it.

One of the most emotional moments of the evening came when Sachin Tendulkar presented Messi with his iconic No. 10 India ODI jersey. But it wasn’t just a jersey, it was respect, from one legend to another, from cricket to football, from India to Argentina.

The evening wasn’t short on famous faces. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis attended the event with his wife and personally welcomed Messi, Suárez, and Rodrigo de Paul. Later, he shared his excitement online, calling it a legendary moment for Mumbai.

Bollywood turned up in full force, too. Shilpa Shetty, Tiger Shroff, Ajay Devgn, and Kareena Kapoor Khan were all present. Kareena attended with her sons, Taimur and Jehangir, and shared that she dressed up specially to take her boys to meet their hero.

Cricket legend Harbhajan Singh was there with Geeta Basra and their children. Clearly thrilled, he later posted about meeting the “one and only G.O.A.T.”

Also Read: Kartik Aaryan Enjoys Winter-Special Heart-Shaped Jalebi At THIS Restaurant In Ahmedabad

Football Fever Takes Over Wankhede

Adding to the electric atmosphere was the All-Stars match happening at the stadium. When Messi walked onto the field to greet the players, the cheers reached another level. The highlight was Messi meeting Sunil Chhetri and the two sharing a warm hug.

Messi didn’t just wave from afar. He interacted with fans and even kicked footballs into the stands for people to catch. Among the thousands of fans was our Editor-in-Chief, Kamiya Jani, who attended the event with her daughter, Ziana. Sitting in the HSBC Starstruck Grandstand, they cheered as Messi walked across the field. And then came a moment they’ll never forget: one of the footballs kicked by Messi landed right with Ziana. What started as a regular day turned into one of the happiest memories of her childhood.

As Sachin Tendulkar later summed it up perfectly on social media, “Must say, today was a 10/10 day Leo Messi.”

Cover Image Courtesy: Sachin Tendulkar/X and Kamiya Jani/Instagram

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First Published: December 15, 2025 3:13 PM