Lionel Messi’s much-hyped ‘GOAT India Tour’ was off to a disastrous start in Kolkata on Saturday, 13 December. And in a video that is going viral on social media, members of his security team can be seen arguing with West Bengal’s Director General of Police Rajeev Kumar.
Lionel Messi’s much-hyped ‘GOAT India Tour’ was off to a disastrous start in Kolkata on Saturday, 13 December with the Argentine football superstar’s
visit to the city’s iconic Salt Lake Stadium ending on a chaotic note. Messi had arrived in the ‘City of Joy’ in the wee hours and had virtually inaugurated a statue of himself later in the morning before making his way to the 85,000-capacity venue, which was sold out in anticipation.
Messi, who was accompanied by Inter Miami teammates Luis Suarez and Rodrigo de Paul in his first visit to India in 14 years, found himself mobbed by VIPs, including West Bengal sports minister Arup Biswas, after making his way out to the pitch at the Salt Lake Stadium.
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Fans were barely able to catch a glimpse of the Barcelona icon, for which they had been charged a fortune by the organisers, and later resorted to vandalism after Messi was whisked away from the venue by his security team after spending just 20 minutes at the centre.
Messi’s security team seen arguing with top police official in Kolkata
In a video that currently is doing the rounds on social media, visibly unhappy members of Messi’s entourage are seen arguing with West Bengal’s Director General of Police Rajeev Kumar.
Watch:
#BreakingNews | The video from West Bengal, has gone viral, appears to show members of Lionel Messi’s team visibly annoyed as they convey their concerns to DG Rajiv Kumar.@AmanKayamHai_ @KamalikaSengupt with more details | @DhantaNews #MessiInIndia #LionelMessiIndia pic.twitter.com/Ddt3iqE1Um
— News18 (@CNNnews18) December 21, 2025
And to make matters worse,
chief organiser Satadru Dutta – who had been
detained by Kolkata Police after the chaotic end to Messi’s Kolkata visit – revealed that the 38-year-old “did not like being touched or hugged” without his consent. The Argentine star’s security team had reportedly flagged these concerns well in advance, only for it to get ignored.
“Repeated announcements were made asking people to restrain themselves, but it had no effect. The way Messi was surrounded and embraced was completely unacceptable to him,” Dutta was quoted by news agency PTI as telling a Special Investigation Team (SIT).
Chief organiser claims ‘very influential person’ derailed Kolkata leg of tour
Dutta also claimed that while 150 ground passes were initially issued, the number tripled after a “very influential person” arrived at the venue and ruined the plan.
“Once that person reached the stadium, the entire flow of the programme was disturbed,” an officer quoted Dutta as saying.
Besides throwing chairs and bottles towards the pitch, fans at the Salt Lake Stadium also tore posters and destroyed facilities on the ground including tents. There even were protests outside the hotel where Messi, Suarez and de Paul were staying in the ‘City of Joy’ later in the day.
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, who was supposed to ‘GOAT India’ event, later claimed that she was “deeply disturbed and shocked” by the manner in which the situation quickly spiralled out of control at the stadium while offering an apology to Messi and “all sports lovers”. She also announced the setup of a three-member enquiry committee to investigate the incident.
The remainder of Messi’s India tour, however, went off without a hitch. The 2022 FIFA World Cup winner visited Hyderabad later on Saturday before visiting Mumbai and Delhi over the course of the next two days.
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