The Lionel Messi GOAT Tour began on a dramatic and chaotic note in Kolkata after the Argentine superstar made a brief 10-minute appearance at the Salt Lake Stadium. Messi’s return to India after 11 years was expected to be a historic occasion, but the excitement quickly turned volatile when the football icon exited the venue far earlier than expected, sparking anger among thousands of fans.
Crowd Turns Unruly After Messi’s Sudden Exit
The event at India’s largest football stadium spiraled out of control as spectators, who had paid between Rs 2,000 and 10,000 for entry, realized the program would not continue in Messi’s presence. Within minutes, unrest spread across multiple stands, leading to vandalism and widespread damage inside the venue.
Bottles were hurled onto the field, sponsor banners were torn apart, and sections of the lower-tier barricades collapsed as fans stormed the pitch. Even the goalpost suffered damage as the situation worsened.
Property Burned as Fans Vent Their Anger
The tension escalated further when sections of the crowd set fire to event property inside the stadium. Sofas arranged for the ceremony and tents set up on the ground were burned as police personnel rushed to douse the flames. The violence left the stadium in disarray, with broken seats, scattered barricades and charred debris across the field.
Messi’s 10-Minute Stay Followed by Abrupt Departure
Messi was expected to remain at the stadium for at least 30 minutes to interact with dignitaries, take part in short activities and greet the audience. Instead, he arrived, waved briefly, and left the venue almost immediately, leaving fans stunned.
Former India footballer Lalkamal Bhowmick, who played in the exhibition match featuring Mohun Bagan Messi XI and Diamond Harbour Messi XI, told Sports Now that the football legend was visibly distressed by the uncontrolled crowd movement.
“Everything was going fine at the start as Messi walked into the stadium. He seemed relaxed, smiling, and shaking hands with all of us. He even gave autographs without hesitation,” Bhowmick said.
But moments later, the scene deteriorated.
“The moment too many people rushed onto the field and started clicking pictures, he became visibly uncomfortable,” he added.
“It got overcrowded very quickly, and we could see his reaction change as everyone around him started clicking pictures. He began showing signs of irritation, lost his cool, and everything went out of control.”
Security Team, Suarez and De Paul Also Upset
According to Bhowmick, Messi’s security team became equally alarmed as people entered the ground from multiple directions.
“His security team was also angry because they saw people entering the ground from all sides. Even Luis Suarez and Rodrigo De Paul were unhappy about the sudden increase in the crowd’s presence. None of them expected that level of chaos on the field,” he noted.
The surge forced Messi, Suarez and De Paul to return to their cars and refuse to come back out. Players and staff waited near the goalpost hoping Messi would return to take penalties, but the decision was made to leave for safety reasons.
Experts Call It a Dangerous Situation
Former India captain Bhaichung Bhutia expressed disappointment.
“What happened was highly unfortunate, and sometimes the VIP culture gets out of control. It becomes challenging for the organisers to stop a lot of VIPs who are not supposed to be there, and many of them ended up surrounding Messi,” he said.
Stadium Descends Into Violence and Destruction
When it became clear Messi would not return, large sections of the crowd erupted in protest. Loud boos echoed through the stadium before the frustration escalated into open vandalism. Seats were torn out and thrown onto the ground, posters were ripped apart, and barricades were smashed.
What was meant to be a celebratory opening to the Lionel Messi GOAT Tour instead became a chaotic spectacle, raising serious questions about crowd management and event planning at major sporting venues in India.
