Thousands braved the December chill and stayed up well past midnight to give Argentine football icon
Lionel Messi a thunderous welcome as he arrived in Kolkata for his whirlwind three-day, four-city GOAT India Tour 2025. The Barcelona legend touched down at 2.26 am on Saturday, triggering scenes of frenzy across the city. Gate 4 of the international arrivals transformed into a sea of chants, flags and flashing phone cameras, with fans dashing between gates in the hope of catching even a fleeting glimpse of their hero.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Children sat atop shoulders, drums beat loudly, and chants rang out as Messi was swiftly escorted through the VIP gate amid heavy security. A tightly guarded convoy then ferried him to his hotel, where another massive crowd waited through the night.
Barricades, police deployment and non-stop cheering turned the city into a cauldron of what many called pure “Messi mania”.
Messi arrived alongside long-time strike partner Luis Suárez and Argentina teammate Rodrigo De Paul. Over the next 72 hours, he is set to travel to Kolkata, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Delhi, meeting chief ministers, corporate leaders, Bollywood celebrities and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday.
Sleepless wait ends in disappointmentFor many fans who kept vigil through the night, the wait ended in heartbreak as they failed to catch a glimpse of the Argentine great.
Due to tight security arrangements, Messi was whisked out of the airport around 3.30 am and taken to his hotel via a back entrance, leaving hundreds of supporters disappointed.
Only a select few airport staff managed a fleeting look at Messi as he stepped off the private Gulfstream V, dressed sharply in a black suit over a white T-shirt, before being driven straight off the tarmac.
Scenes turned chaotic at the Hyatt Regency as fans sprinted through corridors chanting “Messi! Messi!”, with the echoes carrying well into the early hours of dawn.
The hotel lobby resembled an Argentine fan zone, awash with sky-blue jerseys, scarves and flags. Breast-feeding infants clung to mothers, children ran around excitedly, while exhausted fans slumped on sofas as the buzz intensified.
Messi checked into Room 730, with the entire seventh floor sealed to prevent any movement near his suite.
With security at its tightest, some fans booked rooms at the hotel in a bid to stay as close to Messi as possible.
A family from New Alipore checked in a day early so their son, Krish Gupta, a Cristiano Ronaldo fan, would not miss the moment.
"I'm a die-hard Ronaldo fan, so what? His biggest rival is coming to my city and I cannot miss the moment. So we planned to stay in the hotel a day in advance," said Krish, a Class 9 student of Birla High School.
He wandered around the coffee shop with his mother and elder sister, hoping for a glimpse of the icon.
"I just want to tell him to play football with me. And if I'm not successful, I will go to the gym tomorrow morning to catch a glimpse of him. I have my autograph book ready and hopefully I will get a selfie."
High hopesSatadru Dutta, the sole promoter of the tour who received Messi at the airport, described the occasion as historic for Kolkata.
"In 2011, he had come after becoming the captain, but now he is coming after winning the World Cup and his eighth Ballon d'Or. So, this is really special. I don't think he will come again, so it's about celebration," Dutta told reporters.
He added that Messi’s visit could provide a major boost to Indian football.
"Never ever have so many sponsors come together for a football star. You can say this is for Messi, but even if 10 per cent of that money comes to the development of Indian football, it would be very big. This statue that has come up and will be unveiled in the morning is also the first-of-its-kind in the world. Messi is set to leave a legacy behind this time," he said.
Security was tightened across the city ahead of the GOAT India Tour, with policemen stationed at every crossing, sniffer dogs deployed and heightened surveillance around the hotel.
Hotel staff were busy with themed preparations, including two large three-tier fondant cakes in Christmas colours.
Outside the airport and later near the hotel, crowds braved the winter cold to welcome Messi, waving Argentina flags and jerseys, chanting his name and breaking down in tears as emotions ran high.
The Hyatt Regency emerged as the epicentre of the celebrations, with street vendors selling scarves, flags and Messi No. 10 jerseys.
Some fans even turned up in wigs and full Argentine colours. "This is a lifetime opportunity. We will not sleep tonight and will head straight to the stadium in the morning. Today is celebration day," said one supporter.
The ItineraryMessi begins his GOAT India Tour on Saturday with a sponsors’ meet-and-greet before heading to the Salt Lake Stadium for a tribute programme featuring music, dance and an exhibition match between Mohun Bagan ‘Messi’ All Stars and Diamond Harbour ‘Messi’ All Stars.
He is scheduled to arrive at 10.50 am for interactions with both teams, felicitation of Bengal’s Santosh Trophy-winning side and a “Master Class with Messi” for children. Luis Suárez, Rodrigo De Paul and Shah Rukh Khan will be part of the programme, with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and other dignitaries invited.
Messi will then take a lap of honour before a virtual unveiling of his 70-foot statue at Lake Town.
He departs for Hyderabad at 2.05 pm for an evening event at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium, which includes a short exhibition match, a five-minute appearance by Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, a football clinic and felicitation.
The tour continues to Mumbai for an event at the Wankhede, featuring a 45-minute philanthropic fashion show with Suárez and De Paul, preceded by a Padel Cup at the CCI.
The final leg in Delhi will see Messi meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Minerva Academy’s triple youth-trophy winners will be felicitated, followed by a nine-a-side celebrity match.
Kolkata's tryst with footballersKolkata’s romance with football royalty dates back to 1977, when Pele’s New York Cosmos played out a 2-2 draw against Mohun Bagan at Eden Gardens.
Pele returned in 2015 to greet the class of ’77, telling the crowd: "You can never have another Pele."
Brazil’s Dunga, Bebeto and Mauro Silva, and Colombia’s René Higuita, who showcased his famous scorpion-kick saves in 2012, all drew massive crowds. German great Oliver Kahn’s 2008 farewell match at Salt Lake Stadium attracted more than one lakh spectators.
However, few stirred the city like Diego Maradona, whose visits in 2008 and 2017 saw unprecedented turnouts. Uruguay’s Diego Forlán, fresh from his Golden Ball triumph, received a similarly warm welcome in 2010.
In 2011, Messi himself had visited Kolkata, captaining Argentina for the first time on foreign soil and leading them to a 1-0 win over Venezuela in a FIFA international friendly before a packed Salt Lake Stadium.
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