In the wee hours of Saturday, hundreds of fans gathered outside the Kolkata airport to welcome the global icon and the GOAT, Lionel Messi, for his three-day India tour. What began as a moment of celebration soon turned into chaos. After the football star made a brief appearance at the Salt Lake Stadium, frustrated fans allegedly threw bottles, vandalised banners, and broke barricades. Here’s what actually happened.
Messi Makes An Appearance At Salt Lake Stadium In Kolkata
Lionel Messi In #Kolkata
Massive Crowd Unrest At Salt Lake Stadium As #Messi Leaves The Stadium in just 10 mins. Bottles thrown, Seats Broken #lionelmessi pic.twitter.com/BRvxp5FLwJ— Rahul ® ⎷ (@RahulSadhu009) December 13, 2025
The Argentine legend is currently visiting India as part of the GOAT India Tour 2025. According to a report by The Economic Times, Messi visited the Salt Lake Stadium on Saturday morning but stayed for around 22 minutes. Many fans who had paid a high amount for tickets failed to catch a proper glimpse of their superstar and were left disappointed. Reportedly, ticket prices ranged between ₹2,000 and ₹10,000. A video posted by @RahulSadhu009 on X showed the chaos that unfolded after Messi left the stadium.
After Messi made his exit from the stadium, several fans resorted to throwing bottles, vandalising sponsor banners, and breaking barricades. What was meant to be a celebratory event quickly turned into chaos. As per a report by Times Now, Messi arrived, waved to the crowd, and left shortly after. The brief appearance triggered outrage among fans who had waited for hours to see him.
Also Read: GOAT In Town: 70-Ft Statue, SRK Meet-Up, Travel Advisory & More On The 3-Day Messi India Tour
Angry Fans Vandalise Banners And VIP Sofas
The #Messi𓃵 program in Kolkata was a letdown. He stayed barely 20 minutes, constantly surrounded by the media, politicians, and privileged contacts. About 100–200 people crowded him, while 80,000 genuine fans who paid heavily for tickets couldn’t see him properly.#MessiInIndia pic.twitter.com/2usaXj8jZz
— Atul Sharma (@atulsofficial10) December 13, 2025
A fan @atulsofficial10 took to X to share that only the media, politicians, and privileged people surrounded Messi. Genuine fans who paid heavily for tickets could not even see him properly. According to a report by Times Now, Messi was swiftly ushered out by security after his appearance.
Once the crowd realised he would not return and the programme would not continue, they began booing at the organisers. Bottles were thrown. Sponsor banners were torn down. Several spectators rushed towards the field, while others reportedly damaged VIP sofas. Police had to intervene to bring the situation under control.
A Messi fan, Siddharth, shared with Times Now that he felt cheated, calling the event a complete let-down. He added that organisers should be held accountable. Reportedly, he paid ₹4,500 for his ticket but could not even see Messi properly. Many fans who paid to watch Messi in Kolkata were clearly disappointed.
Also Read: Lionel Messi India Tour Adds Hyderabad As Next Stop. Mumbai Tickets Still Available
What do you think of this unfortunate situation? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section.
Cover Image Courtesy: @DhruvilLimbach1/ X and @RahulSadhu009/ X
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