Messi’s India Tour Turns Into Chaos: Fans Riot After Broken Promises in Kolkata
What was supposed to be a celebratory visit quickly turned into one of the most controversial football-related events in recent memory. Lionel Messi arrived in India as part of a heavily promoted “GOAT Tour”, with planned appearances in Kolkata, Mumbai, Ahmedabad and New Delhi. The tour was presented as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Indian fans to see the World Cup winner up close, with exhibitions, meet-and-greet events and a spectacular public celebration built entirely around Messi’s presence.
The centrepiece of the opening stop in Kolkata was the unveiling of a 20-metre statue — promoted as the largest Messi statue in the world. Thousands of fans gathered expecting not only the ceremony, but also a live appearance from the Argentine star. Instead, Messi never showed up in person. The unveiling was done remotely, with the player pressing a button from another location to pull the cover off the monument. At first, Messi himself appeared confused about what was happening, before realising he was expected to “participate” in the ceremony from afar.
Later that same day, the focus shifted to Salt Lake Stadium, where organisers had promised a football show featuring Messi. Tickets were sold at high prices, and for many local fans this was a major financial sacrifice. According to eyewitnesses, some paid up to 12,000 rupees (around $135) for a ticket — in a country where the average monthly salary is roughly 36,500 rupees (about $400). Expectations were high, and the stands were packed.
What followed shocked the crowd. Messi appeared briefly, surrounded by heavy security, waved to the stands and spent around 20 minutes on the touchline with politicians, ministers, actors and other VIP guests. There was no football show, no skills display, no interaction with ordinary fans. Soon after, Messi left the pitch and headed down the tunnel. That was the moment when it became clear to the crowd that the promised event was not going to happen.
The reaction was explosive. Furious supporters began breaking through security barriers, climbing fences and storming the pitch. Others remained in the stands, ripping out seats and setting them on fire. Parts of the stadium were heavily damaged as chaos spread. Messi was immediately escorted away, while enraged fans moved towards his hotel. Armed police units were deployed to disperse the crowd, using batons and force to restore order in the area.
Messi had arrived in India accompanied by close associates Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, but none of them addressed the crowd after the incident. For many supporters, the feeling was simple: they had been misled. The promises were loud, the promotion aggressive, and the prices high — but the reality delivered to ordinary fans was almost nothing.
In the aftermath, the authorities of West Bengal launched an official investigation. Mamata Banerjee, the Chief Minister of the state, publicly apologised both to fans and to Messi, placing the blame on catastrophic organisational failures. She admitted that the scale of public interest had been badly underestimated and that security measures were nowhere near sufficient for an event involving a global superstar.
Soon after, it was confirmed that the main organiser of the tour had been arrested and taken into custody. Reports also resurfaced that even before the tour began, organisers had allegedly offered private meetings and photo opportunities with Messi for up to 9.5 million rupees (around $105,000), further fuelling accusations that the entire event was designed around elite access rather than genuine fan engagement.
Whether Messi personally intended to deceive anyone is still up for debate. But for thousands of Indian supporters who emptied their wallets and filled the stadium, the outcome felt like a betrayal. What was advertised as a celebration of football and its greatest icon ended in riots, arrests and burned seats — a stark reminder that when expectations are sold too aggressively, disappointment can turn into something far more dangerous.
Published by Patrick Jane
15.12.2025