Argentina superstar Lionel Messi kicked off his GOAT India Tour 2025 in Kolkata
The Argentine will have a busy schedule in the City of Joy
He is also going to virtually inaugurate the statue dedicated to him
Argentina superstar Lionel Messi will kick-off his GOAT India Tour 2025 in Kolkata after the Inter Miami captain was welcomed by joyous fans at the airport. The Argentine icon touched down after travelling from Miami via Dubai and despite being very early in the morning, thousands of fans packed the airport to get a glimpse of the World Cup winner.
Chants of 'Messi, Messi' reverberated throughout the welcome as the likes of Rodrigo de Paul and Luis Suarez have also arrived on Indian shores alongside their skipper.
“There’s a great atmosphere of joy that Messi is coming to India after 14 years,” tour organiser Satadru Dutta said. “Football’s connection to India is growing again. Never before have so many sponsors come to Indian football.”
Messi will start from Kolkata and move to Hyderabad, Mumbai and New Delhi during the three-day tour.
Messi's Kolkata Itinerary
The star forward's schedule starts with a private meet-and-greet from 9.30 to 10.30 am, wherein he will meet select guests and organisers. He will then move online to virtually inaugurate the statue dedicated to him.
Later on in the day, Messi is scheduled to take part in a friendly game at the Yuva Bharati Stadium, which is expected to be packed to the rafters. A fan interaction at the venue will close out the event in the City of Joy.
