File photo of Argentine football star Lionel Messi.
| Photo Credit: Reuters
Young fans in Kolkata are eagerly awaiting the arrival of Lionel Messi, with many of them spending several thousand rupees on tickets to join the crowd of spectators at the football legend’s event in the city on December 13.
The Argentine footballer will be here as part of what’s being promoted as GOAT Tour of India 2025, a privately organised event. From Kolkata, he will proceed to Hyderabad and then to Mumbai and Delhi. Mr. Messi last came to the city in 2011 to captain Argentina in a friendly match against Venezuela at the Salt Lake City stadium, the same venue for the upcoming event that will include a celebrity match and a masterclass.
“This tour isn’t just an event; it’s a pilgrimage marking Lionel Messi’s monumental return to Kolkata, a city whose heartbeat syncs with his every move on the pitch. It promises to be absolute, glorious chaos, with thousands of us gathering to witness the living legend in the flesh, desperately hoping for a glimpse of that magical footwork, and a connection with the fanbase that has deified him for decades,” Apratim Majumder, a videographer, said.
“Securing my spot cost around ₹5,500, but frankly, the financial aspect was completely irrelevant. As a fan whose entire mood is dictated by his match results, the thought of missing my idol in my own hometown was simply impossible. What I revere most about Messi isn’t just his staggering technical brilliance but the quiet humility with which he dominates the sport — he lets his game do the talking,” Mr. Majumder added.
Aditya Mukherjee, a social media manager, paid a little more, ₹7,000, even though tickets are now costing up to ₹13,000, and he too doesn’t mind shelling out the sum for a glimpse of his icon. “Even since I was a kid, I used to dream of becoming a professional footballer. I used to spend day and night watching Messi on YouTube and tried to play like him, and see the game like he used to. After a few years, due to work pressure building up, I got so little time for myself that everyday football became a weekly event, but Messi remained my hero,” Mr. Mukherjee said.
His friend Srishti Sinha, also a social media manager, has paid ₹5,000 to watch the athlete “I love and respect Messi — a hard worker, gentleman, balanced in every way,” Ms. Sinha said.
The current FIFA ranking of the Indian football team is 142, and the admiration of local fans has traditionally been focused on international legends. One of the first football stars to visit India was the celebrated Soviet goalkeeper Lev Yashin, in 1955. His visit was followed by Pele’s in 1977.
“To me, football means Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi. I have been blessed to see Maradona in the flesh in 2008 and 2017, and my one regret was that I could not see Messi when he had come to play in Kolkata in a friendly match against Venezuela 14 years ago. I had to go out of town on a family emergency, and I thought I had lost the only opportunity to ever see Messi in the flesh. I have left nothing to chance. I have already purchased my ticket and I can’t wait to see the event,” businessman Zulfiqar Ahmed said.
“I am aware that all his matches and videos are available online, and that it will be from a distance that I will be able to see him. But tell me, why do people go and watch a concert of Amjad Ali Khan when they can buy the CD (compact disc)? Why watch football in the stadium, when one can get a more comfortable seat at home? It is for the experience of seeing them live, to breathe in the atmosphere that their presence generates,” Mr. Ahmed said.
Published – December 02, 2025 06:22 pm IST
