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Mumbai: Argentina's legendary footballer Lionel Messi has once again reached India after 14 years. On the morning of Saturday, December 13, he entered India and started his four-city tour from Kolkata. This tour has been named ‘GOAT Tour of India.’ There was excitement across the country about Messi's arrival, but in Kolkata this joy could not completely turn into celebration.
Now Messi's next stop will be Mumbai. On December 14, he will reach Mumbai, where several programs have been organized in his honor at the Cricket Club of India (CCI). A charity fashion show will be organized here, as well as a paddle match. Special coaching clinics have also been organized for children so that they can connect directly with Messi.
All roads lead to Wankhede. 🏟️
— Bengaluru FC (@bengalurufc) December 12, 2025
Bengaluru FC skipper Sunil Chhetri and Leo Messi will meet at the G.O.A.T tour, as it heads to Mumbai, this weekend. 🐐#WeAreBFC #GOATTourIndia pic.twitter.com/0a2K8mIgyl
According to sources, Sachin Tendulkar can be seen playing with Messi in the paddle match. Apart from this, Rohit Sharma and Mahendra Singh Dhoni are also expected to participate in this program. Big names from Bollywood like John Abraham, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Jackie Shroff can be included in the fashion show. A separate program has also been scheduled at Wankhede Stadium during the Mumbai tour. Here, some special memorabilia related to Messi's Qatar World Cup 2022 will be auctioned, the proceeds from which will be given to charity.
The last leg of GOAT Tour will be held in New Delhi on 15th December. There is a possibility of Messi meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the program organized at Arun Jaitley Stadium. During this, Minerva Academy will be honored, which has won three youth trophies in Europe this year. A special football coaching program has also been organized for children in the capital.
After the uproar in Kolkata, Messi reached Hyderabad, where the atmosphere was calm and enthusiastic. 7v7 exhibition match took place at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium; Messi played for a few minutes and showed skills. Telangana CM Revanth Reddy also took the field. After that, a coaching clinic and musical concert for children. The fans were happy, there was no ruckus. A private dinner also took place at Falaknuma Palace. Hyderabad showed how beautiful a Messi visit can be with proper planning. Should the same be expected from other cities?
The tour is organized by 'A Sathadru Dutta Initiative' (ASDI), which has previously brought legends like Maradona, Pele and Martínez to India. Tickets are available on the District app; prices range from Rs 2000 to Rs 30000 depending on the cities. Some events live on DD Sports and Prasar Bharti YouTube. Having Suarez and De Paul with Messi doubles the fun. But the incident in Kolkata raised questions—was the event for fans or just a showpiece? Nevertheless, Messi's coming to India will give a boost to football. This will be a memory of a lifetime for the fans, provided the rest of the days remain peaceful.
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