PM Modi, Gill, fashion show: Messi's India tour has everything but football

Lionel Messi is returning to India aft his archetypal sojourn successful 2011, but this travel volition not impact immoderate competitory football. His 2011 quality astatine the Salt Lake Stadium drew much than 85,000 radical who watched Argentina bushed Venezuela 1-0 successful a FIFA friendly.

This time, his docket nether the ‘GOAT India Tour 2025’ is constricted to events and appearances, opening connected Saturday successful Kolkata and ending connected Monday successful New Delhi.Messi volition not play a lucifer during the tour. The lawsuit is promotional and commercially planned. Kolkata, which has welcomed shot icons including Maradona, Pele, Dunga and Ronaldinho, volition big him again.Organisers person opened 78,000 seats astatine the Salt Lake Stadium, with summons prices going up to Rs 7,000 for a 45-minute quality connected Saturday morning.Messi volition beryllium successful India for little than 72 hours and volition question to Kolkata, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Delhi. His docket includes meetings with main ministers, concern leaders, movie personalities and a planned gathering with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. India’s Test and ODI skipper Shubman Gill, who has spoken astir admiring Messi, is besides expected to conscionable him aft the Dharamshala T20I connected December 14.Messi’s past India travel connected September 3, 2011, remains a cardinal representation for fans who watched him pb Argentina successful a friendly.

Events planned crossed cities

The main lawsuit of the circuit is simply a 45-minute foundation manner amusement successful Mumbai connected Sunday with Messi, Luis Suarez and Rodrigo De Paul."There volition beryllium personage models, cricketers, Bollywood celebrities, millionaires, founders. Tiger and Jackie Shroff, John Abraham among others," said Satadru Dutta, promoter of the tour.The organisers person requested Messi to bring "some memorabilia" of his trophy-winning 2022 World Cup run which volition beryllium auctioned during the Mumbai leg.

Before the Mumbai lawsuit astatine Wankhede Stadium, determination volition beryllium a Padel Cup astatine the CCI.Kolkata volition invited Messi connected Saturday. He volition enactment astatine a edifice connected EM Bypass and be a sponsor-only lawsuit successful the morning. A caller 'Messi landmark', a 70-foot statue adjacent the Sreebhumi Clock Tower, volition beryllium inaugurated virtually from his edifice aft constabulary declined support for a nationalist event. A Messi mural, 25ft x 20ft, planned for adjacent year’s Durga Puja, volition besides beryllium unveiled and aboriginal handed to him astatine Salt Lake Stadium.Messi volition alert to Hyderabad astatine 2 pm. The halt was added aft a planned affable successful Kochi was cancelled. In Hyderabad, helium volition be the GOAT Cup, supported by Telangana main curate Revanth Reddy, which volition see a 7v7 personage match, punishment shootouts, a masterclass for young players and a philharmonic event.The last halt is Delhi, wherever helium volition conscionable Prime Minister Narendra Modi.Young players from Minerva Academy, who won the Gothia Cup, Dana Cup and Norway Cup this year, volition beryllium honoured successful his presence.

A nine-a-side personage lucifer is besides planned.

Kolkata’s agelong shot history

Messi’s sojourn adds to Kolkata’s agelong grounds of hosting large shot names. In 1977, Pele and New York Cosmos played a 2-2 accumulation against Mohun Bagan. Pele returned successful 2015 and told the crowd: "You tin ne'er person different Pele."Other past visitors see Dunga, Bebeto, Mauro Silva and Colombia’s Rene Higuita, who showed his ‘scorpion kick’ successful 2012. Oliver Kahn’s farewell lucifer successful 2008 drew much than 1 lakh spectators.Diego Maradona’s visits successful 2008 and 2017 brought ample crowds, and Diego Forlan was welcomed successful 2010 soon aft his Golden Ball-winning World Cup performance.

Criticism implicit a ‘handshake visit’

Some erstwhile Indian footballers person criticised the circuit and expressed disappointment implicit not being invited.Former India and Mohun Bagan midfielder Gautam Sarkar, who marked Pele successful 1977, said, "These are thing but gimmicks. Messi is coming lone to bash a handshake...

Pele had travel present and really played with us."He added, "Instead of bringing Messi, our absorption should beryllium connected however to amended shot successful the country. We indispensable springiness utmost precedence to Indian shot and bring backmost the glory of the past."Former India defender Subrata Bhattacharya besides said helium felt "insulted".