Messi mania takes over as thousands turn out to welcome Argentine icon - See pics

Thousands braved the December chill and stayed up good past midnight to springiness Argentine football icon Lionel Messi a thunderous invited arsenic helium arrived successful Kolkata for his whirlwind three-day, four-city GOAT India Tour 2025.

The Barcelona fable touched down astatine 2.26 americium connected Saturday, triggering scenes of frenzy crossed the city.

Gate 4 of the planetary arrivals transformed into a oversea of chants, flags and flashing telephone cameras, with fans dashing betwixt gates successful the anticipation of catching adjacent a fleeting glimpse of their hero.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Children sat atop shoulders, drums bushed loudly, and chants rang retired arsenic Messi was swiftly escorted done the VIP gross amid dense security.

A tightly guarded convoy past ferried him to his hotel, wherever different monolithic assemblage waited done the night.

Barricades, constabulary deployment and non-stop cheering turned the metropolis into a cauldron of what galore called axenic “Messi mania”.Messi arrived alongside long-time onslaught spouse Luis Suárez and Argentina teammate Rodrigo De Paul. Over the adjacent 72 hours, helium is acceptable to question to Kolkata, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Delhi, gathering main ministers, firm leaders, Bollywood celebrities and Prime Minister Narendra Modi connected Monday.

Sleepless hold ends successful disappointmentFor galore fans who kept vigil done the night, the hold ended successful heartbreak arsenic they failed to drawback a glimpse of the Argentine great.Due to choky information arrangements, Messi was whisked retired of the airdrome astir 3.30 americium and taken to his edifice via a backmost entrance, leaving hundreds of supporters disappointed.Only a prime fewer airdrome unit managed a fleeting look astatine Messi arsenic helium stepped disconnected the backstage Gulfstream V, dressed sharply successful a achromatic suit implicit a achromatic T-shirt, earlier being driven consecutive disconnected the tarmac.Scenes turned chaotic astatine the Hyatt Regency arsenic fans sprinted done corridors chanting “Messi! Messi!”, with the echoes carrying good into the aboriginal hours of dawn.

The edifice lobby resembled an Argentine instrumentality zone, awash with sky-blue jerseys, scarves and flags. Breast-feeding infants clung to mothers, children ran astir excitedly, portion exhausted fans slumped connected sofas arsenic the buzz intensified.Messi checked into Room 730, with the full seventh level sealed to forestall immoderate question adjacent his suite.With information astatine its tightest, immoderate fans booked rooms astatine the edifice successful a bid to enactment arsenic adjacent to Messi arsenic possible.A household from New Alipore checked successful a time aboriginal truthful their son, Krish Gupta, a Cristiano Ronaldo fan, would not miss the moment."I'm a die-hard Ronaldo fan, truthful what? His biggest rival is coming to my metropolis and I cannot miss the moment. So we planned to enactment successful the edifice a time successful advance," said Krish, a Class 9 pupil of Birla High School.He wandered astir the java store with his parent and elder sister, hoping for a glimpse of the icon."I conscionable privation to archer him to play shot with me. And if I'm not successful, I volition spell to the gym time greeting to drawback a glimpse of him. I person my autograph publication acceptable and hopefully I volition get a selfie."High hopesSatadru Dutta, the sole promoter of the circuit who received Messi astatine the airport, described the juncture arsenic historical for Kolkata."In 2011, helium had travel aft becoming the captain, but present helium is coming aft winning the World Cup and his eighth Ballon d'Or. So, this is truly special. I don't deliberation helium volition travel again, truthful it's astir celebration," Dutta told reporters.He added that Messi’s sojourn could supply a large boost to Indian football."Never ever person truthful galore sponsors travel unneurotic for a shot star. You tin accidental this is for Messi, but adjacent if 10 per cent of that wealth comes to the improvement of Indian football, it would beryllium precise big.

This statue that has travel up and volition beryllium unveiled successful the greeting is besides the first-of-its-kind successful the world. Messi is acceptable to permission a bequest down this time," helium said.Security was tightened crossed the metropolis up of the GOAT India Tour, with policemen stationed astatine each crossing, sniffer dogs deployed and heightened surveillance astir the hotel.Hotel unit were engaged with themed preparations, including 2 ample three-tier fondant cakes successful Christmas colours.Outside the airdrome and aboriginal adjacent the hotel, crowds braved the wintertime acold to invited Messi, waving Argentina flags and jerseys, chanting his sanction and breaking down successful tears arsenic emotions ran high.

The Hyatt Regency emerged arsenic the epicentre of the celebrations, with thoroughfare vendors selling scarves, flags and Messi No. 10 jerseys.Some fans adjacent turned up successful wigs and afloat Argentine colours. "This is simply a beingness opportunity.

We volition not slumber contiguous and volition caput consecutive to the stadium successful the morning. Today is solemnisation day," said 1 supporter.The ItineraryMessi begins his GOAT India Tour connected Saturday with a sponsors’ meet-and-greet earlier heading to the Salt Lake Stadium for a tribute programme featuring music, creation and an accumulation lucifer betwixt Mohun Bagan ‘Messi’ All Stars and Diamond Harbour ‘Messi’ All Stars.He is scheduled to get astatine 10.50 americium for interactions with some teams, felicitation of Bengal’s Santosh Trophy-winning broadside and a “Master Class with Messi” for children.

Luis Suárez, Rodrigo De Paul and Shah Rukh Khan volition beryllium portion of the programme, with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and different dignitaries invited.Messi volition past instrumentality a thigh of honour earlier a virtual unveiling of his 70-foot statue astatine Lake Town.He departs for Hyderabad astatine 2.05 p.m. for an evening lawsuit astatine the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium, which includes a abbreviated accumulation match, a five-minute quality by Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, a shot session and felicitation.The circuit continues to Mumbai for an lawsuit astatine the Wankhede, featuring a 45-minute philanthropic manner amusement with Suárez and De Paul, preceded by a Padel Cup astatine the CCI.The last limb successful Delhi volition spot Messi conscionable Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Minerva Academy’s triple youth-trophy winners volition beryllium felicitated, followed by a nine-a-side personage match.Kolkata's tryst with footballersKolkata’s romance with shot royalty dates backmost to 1977, erstwhile Pele’s New York Cosmos played retired a 2-2 gully against Mohun Bagan astatine Eden Gardens.Pele returned successful 2015 to greet the people of ’77, telling the crowd: "You tin ne'er person different Pele."Brazil’s Dunga, Bebeto and Mauro Silva, and Colombia’s René Higuita, who showcased his celebrated scorpion-kick saves successful 2012, each drew monolithic crowds. German large Oliver Kahn’s 2008 farewell lucifer astatine Salt Lake Stadium attracted much than 1 lakh spectators.However, fewer stirred the metropolis similar Diego Maradona, whose visits successful 2008 and 2017 saw unprecedented turnouts. Uruguay’s Diego Forlán, caller from his Golden Ball triumph, received a likewise lukewarm invited successful 2010.In 2011, Messi himself had visited Kolkata, captaining Argentina for the archetypal clip connected overseas ungraded and starring them to a 1-0 triumph implicit Venezuela successful a FIFA planetary affable earlier a packed Salt Lake Stadium.