Messi's India tour gets final seal of approval, first stop is Kolkata

Kolkata: Lionel Messi's much-anticipated visit to India has received its final seal of approval with the Argentine superstar set to kick off his three-city tour in Kolkata on December 12, promoter of the event Satadru Dutta said on Friday.

As earlier reported by PTI, the football-mad city of Kolkata will be the first stop in Messi's whirlwind trip named 'GOAT Tour of India 2025', followed by Ahmedabad, Mumbai and New Delhi.

The visit will conclude after a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his residence on December 15.

This will be the Argentine great's first trip to India since 2011 when he visited the country with his national to play a FIFA friendly against Venezuela at the Salt Lake Stadium here.

"I got the authorisation and afterwards made it official (on social media). Messi will post any day between August 28 and September 1 with the official poster with all details and a small introduction of his tour," Dutta told PTI, confirming his visit.

Dutta met Messi's father earlier this year to present the proposal, and on February 28, Messi himself met him at his residence for a 45-minute discussion.

"I explained the plan and what we wanted to do. He seemed convinced it was worth it and committed to coming," Dutta said.

Messi's entourage may also include Inter Miami teammates Rodrigo De Paul, Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets among others but Dutta refused to divulge any name.

Messi's visit will feature masterclass with children in each city, aimed at inspiring the next generation of Indian footballers.

He will land in Kolkata on the night of December 12 and spend two days and one night in his longest stop on the tour.

His December 13 schedule begins with a meet-and-greet in the morning, which will also feature a special food and tea festival.

"He's a lover of mate (Argentine herbal tea), so I am doing a fusion of Argentine and Indian Assam tea. This will be an extra addition, to be held on the sidelines of the meet-and-greet event on December 13 morning at his hotel (Taj Bengal).

"All Bengali fish, including hilsa, and sweet delicacies will be there on the platter for the food festival," Dutta revealed.

The day's highlight will be the unveiling of Messi's statue, followed by the 'GOAT Concert' and 'GOAT Cup' at either Eden Gardens or Salt Lake Stadium.

Another addition of the tour is the unveiling of his mural during the upcoming Durga Puja where fans can "post messages and draw something." "Not only will he unveil his biggest-ever statue, we will have a huge mural (dimensions of 25 feet height and 20 feet width) for him, which will be kept at strategic Durga Puja pandal-hopping locations so that all his fans will have an opportunity to paint and post messages in a nearby message box. That mural will be presented to Messi when he's inside the stadium for the GOAT Concert," Dutta said.

He added that two-three possible mural locations have been shortlisted and awaits police clearance.

Salt Lake Stadium is also under consideration as a backup venue for the Kolkata concert which is originally planned at Eden Gardens.

"We have pencilled in both venues, and the final confirmation will come within 15 days," Dutta said.

The GOAT Cup at Eden Gardens will be a celebratory seven-a-side soft-touch football match, with Messi teaming up alongside Sourav Ganguly, Leander Paes, John Abraham and Bhaichung Bhutia.

Organisers expect a sell-out crowd, with tickets likely to start from Rs 3,500. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is expected to felicitate Messi during the programme.

Security will be the top priority, he said.

"The Kolkata Police Commissioner made it clear that I'm responsible for the arrangements and ensure that there are no security lapses. Messi's team is also particular about this. It's not just for him, but for every fan attending. He wants everyone to go with a happy memory and without any untoward incident," Dutta stressed.

Ahmedabad, Mumbai and Delhi legs

On the evening of December 13, Messi will travel to Ahmedabad for a private event hosted by the Adani Foundation.

The Mumbai leg on December 14 will feature a meet-and-greet at CCI Brabourne followed by the GOAT Concert and GOAT Cup at the Wankhede Stadium.

The new addition will be the Mumbai Padel GOAT Cup at the CCI, Brabourne.

"Messi, being a great fan of the racket sport (typically played in an enclosed arena), will play padel along with celebrities at the CCI Brabourne, Mumbai," Dutta said.

Sources said Shah Rukh Khan and Leander Paes are among those expected to participate, with Messi possibly playing for five to 10 minutes.

The Maharashtra Cricket Association is also planning a 'GOAT moment' pairing Messi with Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma in GOAT Captain's moment along with a Bollywood line-up featuring Ranveer Singh, Aamir Khan and Tiger Shroff.

In Delhi on December 15, Messi will meet PM Modi at his residence before attending the GOAT Concert and GOAT Cup at Feroz Shah Kotla.

Sources revealed that the Delhi District Cricket Association is also inviting Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill, who is a big "Messi fan", a day after playing India's third T20I against South Africa in Dharamsala.