Lionel Messi on Thursday (October 2, 2025) confirmed his participation within the much-anticipated GOAT Tour of India 2025, calling it an “honour” to revisit the “passionate football nation” nation the place he final performed 14 years in the past.
“It is such an honour for me to make this trip. India is a very special country, and I have good memories from my time there 14 years ago — the fans were fantastic.
Lionel Messi in motion throughout a FIFA worldwide pleasant between Argentina and Venezuela on the Yuva Bharati Kriangan in Kolkata on September 02, 2011.
| Photo Credit:
The Hindu
“India is a passionate football nation, and I look forward to meeting a new generation of fans while sharing the love I have for this beautiful game,” Messi mentioned in an official assertion.
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The organisers had already unveiled the itinerary on August 15, and Messi’s assertion on Thursday (October 2, 2025) marked the primary time the football icon himself confirmed the go to.
Messi will start his whirlwind four-city tour in Kolkata on December 13 earlier than travelling to Ahmedabad, Mumbai and New Delhi. The journey will finish with a assembly with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 15.
During the tour, the Argentine celebrity will headline live shows, meet-and-greet classes, meals festivals, football masterclasses, and even a padel exhibition at Mumbai’s Brabourne Stadium.
In Kolkata, Messi’s occasion might be held at Salt Lake Stadium which was additionally confirmed on Thursday (October 2, 2025).
The stadium will host the legend for the second time this time within the “GOAT Concert’ and “GOAT Cup’ on December 13, the place Messi is predicted to share the sector with Indian icons Sourav Ganguly, Bhaichung Bhutia and Leander Paes.
Organisers are additionally planning a 25-foot-high mural to be unveiled throughout Durga Puja festivities, together with the inauguration of Messi’s biggest-ever statue. Tickets for the occasions are anticipated to begin from ₹3,500.
This might be Messi’s first go to to India since 2011, when he captained Argentina in a FIFA pleasant in opposition to Venezuela on the Salt Lake Stadium.
Promoter Satadru Dutta, who secured the authorisation earlier this yr after conferences with Messi and his father, has promised a spectacle mixing Indian and Argentine tradition.
A meals and tea competition in Kolkata will spotlight Messi’s fondness for Argentine made tea, with a particular Assam fusion.
In Mumbai, Messi may even attend the “Padel GOAT Cup” and take part in a movie star line-up that would embody Shah Rukh Khan, Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni, and Bollywood stars.
Security preparations are anticipated to be unprecedented, with each Messi’s staff and native authorities concerned.
Also Read | Lionel Messi: The immortal genius
Messi in Kerala too in November?
Even as Messi prepares for his December commitments, the Argentina nationwide football staff has included India in its schedule for a November FIFA worldwide window.
The Lionel Scaloni-coached world champions are set to play a pleasant in Kerala between November 10-18, although the opponents and venue are but to be finalised.
If that go to goes forward, it may imply Messi making two journeys to India inside two months. However, it stays to be seen whether or not the 38-year-old ahead will function within the Kerala match.
“I will be surprised if the legendary footballer comes twice in a month. However, it is most likely that the Argentina team minus Messi may come to play in Kerala,” a supply within the state mentioned.
The November pleasant might be a part of three video games throughout the window, with the opposite two scheduled in Angola.
“The Argentine national team, led by Lionel Scaloni, will have two FIFA friendly windows in the remainder of 2025,” the AFA had mentioned in its assertion.
“The first, in October, from the 6th to the 14th, will be played in the United States (opponents and cities to be determined). The second, from the 10th to the 18th of November, will be played in Luanda, Angola, and Kerala, India (opponents to be determined),” it added.
Messi, an Olympic gold medallist and 2022 World Cup-winning captain, continues to entice unprecedented fanfare worldwide, and his December tour is predicted to be one of many largest football-related occasions ever staged in India.
Published – October 02, 2025 01:05 pm IST
