Kolkata: The Messi mania that had gripped the city during Argentine footballing legend Lionel Messi’s brief visit to Kolkata turned ugly as angry fans broke security protocols after failing to catch even a glimpse of the world’s most popular footballer. 

The brief 22-minute appearance at the Salt Lake Stadium on Saturday morning was a disappointing affair for the fans who had braved the December chill and waited past midnight for the Barcelona legend. He touched down at 2.26 am to a rousing welcome. 

Nonstop cheering marked "Messi mania" even as a heavy convoy escorted him to his hotel from the airport.

However, things changed in the morning. The joy of seeing arguably the best footballer in the world turned into a virtual nightmare for many fans, with “less of Messi” and more of what many described as a “royal mess”.

Kolkata: Fans of Argentine footballer Lionel Messi amid chaos during an event as part of his 'G.O.A.T. India Tour 2025', at Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (VYBK), in Kolkata, Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025. Fans protested after failing to catch a clear glimpse of the footballer despite paying hefty sums for tickets. (PTI Photo/Swapan Mahapatra)(PTI12_13_2025_000128B)
Fans go on a rampage during an event as part of his 'G.O.A.T. India Tour 2025', at Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata on Saturday. Fans protested after failing to catch a clear glimpse of the footballer despite paying hefty sums for tickets. Photo: PTI
ADVERTISEMENT

Moments after Messi emerged from the tunnel, the situation spiralled out of control. Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, who had arrived in Kolkata for the special event, along with former India captain Sourav Ganguly and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, was unable to be part of the programme as the event was cut short amid the chaos.

Fans react as Inter Miami's Argentine forward #10 Lionel Messi departs from the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata on December 13, 2025. Thousands of fans packed into a stadium in eastern India on December 13 to cheer on Lionel Messi as the football legend unveiled a 21-metre (70-foot) statue of himself. (Photo by Dibyangshu SARKAR / AFP)
Fans invade the pitch after Lionel Messi departed from the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata on Saturday. Photo: AFP

Such was the situation that, along with security personnel, promoter Shatadru Datta, organiser of the ‘GOAT Tour’, had to whisk Messi away as the Salt Lake Stadium turned into a scene of political one-upmanship, with supporters of the ruling Trinamool Congress breaching security and entering the field of play.

ADVERTISEMENT

Fans, who had paid between ₹4,500 and ₹10,000 for tickets to watch the Argentine star, hurled bottles and damaged fibreglass seats, forcing the police to intervene as they struggled to bring the situation under control.

“Here, a glass of cold drink costs ₹150–200, yet we couldn’t even catch a glimpse of Messi. People have spent a month’s salary to see him. I paid ₹5,000 for the ticket and came with my son to watch Messi, not politicians. The police and military personnel were taking selfies, and the management is to blame. There wasn’t even drinking water available,” an angry fan said.
(With PTI inputs)

ADVERTISEMENT

TAGS

Google News Add as a preferred source on Google
The comments posted here/below/in the given space are not on behalf of Onmanorama. The person posting the comment will be in sole ownership of its responsibility. According to the central government's IT rules, obscene or offensive statement made against a person, religion, community or nation is a punishable offense, and legal action would be taken against people who indulge in such activities.