Hundreds braved the December chill and stayed up effectively previous midnight to offer Argentine soccer 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 throughout town. Gate 4 of the worldwide arrivals remodeled right into a sea of chants, flags and flashing cellphone cameras, with followers dashing between gates within the hope of catching even a fleeting glimpse of their hero.Go Past The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Youngsters sat atop shoulders, drums beat loudly, and chants rang out as Messi was swiftly escorted by means of the VIP gate amid heavy safety. A tightly guarded convoy then ferried him to his resort, the place one other large crowd waited by means of the night time.
Barricades, police deployment and continuous cheering turned town right into a cauldron of what many known as pure “Messi mania”.Messi arrived alongside long-time strike accomplice Luis Suárez and Argentina teammate Rodrigo De Paul. Over the following 72 hours, he’s set to journey to Kolkata, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Delhi, assembly chief ministers, company leaders, Bollywood celebrities and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday.Sleepless wait ends in disappointmentFor a lot of followers who saved vigil by means of the night time, the wait resulted in heartbreak as they did not catch a glimpse of the Argentine nice.Because of tight safety preparations, Messi was whisked out of the airport round 3.30 am and brought to his resort by way of a again entrance, leaving lots of of supporters disenchanted.Solely a choose few airport employees managed a fleeting have a look at Messi as he stepped off the personal Gulfstream V, dressed sharply in a black go well with over a white T-shirt, earlier than being pushed straight off the tarmac.Scenes turned chaotic on the Hyatt Regency as followers sprinted by means of corridors chanting “Messi! Messi!”, with the echoes carrying effectively into the early hours of daybreak.
The resort foyer resembled an Argentine fan zone, awash with sky-blue jerseys, scarves and flags. Breast-feeding infants clung to moms, youngsters ran round excitedly, whereas exhausted followers slumped on sofas as the thrill intensified.Messi checked into Room 730, with your entire seventh flooring sealed to forestall any motion close to his suite.With safety at its tightest, some followers booked rooms on the resort in a bid to remain as near Messi as potential.A household from New Alipore checked in a day early so their son, Krish Gupta, a Cristiano Ronaldo fan, wouldn’t miss the second.“I am a die-hard Ronaldo fan, so what? His greatest rival is coming to my metropolis and I can’t miss the second. So we deliberate to remain within the resort a day prematurely,” mentioned Krish, a Class 9 pupil of Birla Excessive Faculty.He wandered across the espresso store along with his mom and elder sister, hoping for a glimpse of the icon.“I simply need to inform him to play soccer with me. And if I am not profitable, I’ll go to the health club tomorrow morning to catch a glimpse of him. I’ve my autograph ebook prepared and hopefully I’ll get a selfie.”Excessive hopesSatadru Dutta, the only real promoter of the tour who acquired Messi on the airport, described the event as historic for Kolkata.“In 2011, he had come after changing into the captain, however now he’s coming after successful the World Cup and his eighth Ballon d’Or. So, that is actually particular. I do not assume he’ll come once more, so it is about celebration,” Dutta instructed reporters.He added that Messi’s go to may present a significant increase to Indian soccer.“By no means ever have so many sponsors come collectively for a soccer star. You possibly can say that is for Messi, however even when 10 per cent of that cash involves the event of Indian soccer, it will be very large. This statue that has come up and will likely be unveiled within the morning can also be the first-of-its-kind on this planet. Messi is ready to go away a legacy behind this time,” he mentioned.Safety was tightened throughout town forward of the GOAT India Tour, with policemen stationed at each crossing, sniffer canines deployed and heightened surveillance across the resort.Lodge employees had been busy with themed preparations, together with two giant three-tier fondant muffins in Christmas colors.Outdoors the airport and later close to the resort, crowds braved the winter chilly to welcome Messi, waving Argentina flags and jerseys, chanting his identify and breaking down in tears as feelings ran excessive.
The Hyatt Regency emerged because the epicentre of the celebrations, with road distributors promoting scarves, flags and Messi No. 10 jerseys.Some followers even turned up in wigs and full Argentine colors. “It is a lifetime alternative. We won’t sleep tonight and can head straight to the stadium within the morning. Right now is celebration day,” mentioned one supporter.The ItineraryMessi begins his GOAT India Tour on Saturday with a sponsors’ meet-and-greet earlier than heading to the Salt Lake Stadium for a tribute programme that includes music, dance and an exhibition match between Mohun Bagan ‘Messi’ All Stars and Diamond Harbour ‘Messi’ All Stars.He’s scheduled to reach at 10.50 am for interactions with each groups, felicitation of Bengal’s Santosh Trophy-winning facet and a “Grasp Class with Messi” for kids. Luis Suárez, Rodrigo De Paul and Shah Rukh Khan will likely be a part of the programme, with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and different dignitaries invited.Messi will then take a lap of honour earlier than a digital unveiling of his 70-foot statue at Lake City.He departs for Hyderabad at 2.05 pm for a night occasion on the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium, which features a quick exhibition match, a five-minute look by Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, a soccer clinic and felicitation.The tour continues to Mumbai for an occasion on the Wankhede, that includes a 45-minute philanthropic vogue present with Suárez and De Paul, preceded by a Padel Cup on the CCI.The ultimate leg in Delhi will see Messi meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Minerva Academy’s triple youth-trophy winners will likely be felicitated, adopted by a nine-a-side movie star match.Kolkata’s tryst with footballersKolkata’s romance with soccer royalty dates again to 1977, when Pele’s New York Cosmos performed out a 2-2 draw towards Mohun Bagan at Eden Gardens.Pele returned in 2015 to greet the category of ’77, telling the gang: “You possibly can by no means have one other Pele.”Brazil’s Dunga, Bebeto and Mauro Silva, and Colombia’s René Higuita, who showcased his well-known scorpion-kick saves in 2012, all drew large crowds. German nice Oliver Kahn’s 2008 farewell match at Salt Lake Stadium attracted multiple lakh spectators.Nonetheless, few stirred town like Diego Maradona, whose visits in 2008 and 2017 noticed unprecedented turnouts. Uruguay’s Diego Forlán, contemporary from his Golden Ball triumph, acquired a equally heat welcome in 2010.In 2011, Messi himself had visited Kolkata, captaining Argentina for the primary time on international soil and main them to a 1-0 win over Venezuela in a FIFA worldwide pleasant earlier than a packed Salt Lake Stadium.
