Wherever Lionel Messi goes, he brings a scene, and that was certainly true Saturday in Kolkata. Messi and his Inter Miami teammates just capped off one of the greatest seasons in Major League Soccer history while he securing his second consecutive league MVP award and also winning the MLS Cup with Inter Miami. Now he’s taking part in the “GOAT Tour” in India, where his first stop needed to be cut short due to fan unrest.
The grand tour began with the unveiling of a 70-foot-tall statue of the Argentine superstar, but quickly devolved from there as he came to see waiting fans at Kolkata’s Salt Lake Stadium. There fans responded to an event that kept Messi at a removed distance from them with ripped up seats and threw things toward the pitch as Messi, Rodrigo De Paul, and Luis Suarez aborted a planned lap around the stadium.
Those fans paid around $133 dollars for tickets to have a chance at seeing Messi, but the view was obscured by political officials and celebrities, according to reports and that’s when the crowd became hostile, causing Messi to be whisked away by security after only 20 minutes. This was the opening day of a tour that will see Messi travel to Kolkata, Hyderabad, Mumbai, and New Delhi.
An apology to Messi was issued by Mamata Banerjee, the Chief Minister of West Bengal, following the incident.
“I am deeply disturbed and shocked by the mismanagement witnessed today at Salt Lake Stadium. I was on my way to the stadium to attend the event along with thousands of sports lovers and fans who had gathered to catch a glimpse of their favourite footballer, Lionel Messi,” Banerjee posted on X.
“I sincerely apologise to Lionel Messi, as well as to all sports lovers and his fans, for the unfortunate incident. I am constituting an enquiry committee under the chairmanship of Justice (Retd.) Ashim Kumar Ray, with the Chief Secretary and the Additional Chief Secretary, Home and Hill Affairs Department, as members. The committee will conduct a detailed enquiry into the incident, fix responsibility, and recommend measures to prevent such occurrences in the future.”
With fans spending so much and travelling to see Messi, this unrest has become common over the years, with similar issues happening in Hong Kong last winter when he didn’t take part in a friendly during the MLS preseason. Everyone wants a glimpse of Messi, and with the Argentine now 38, the chances to do that during his playing days are dwindling. He’ll continue on the rest of the tour of India following this.
