Argentine football legend Lionel Messi is set to set foot in India this time. Over three days, he will visit four cities Kolkata, Hyderabad, Mumbai, and Delhi to meet the country’s football fans in person. From stadium events and celebrity meet-and-greets to fashion shows and exhibition matches, the entire tour promises to be packed with excitement, offering fans a major attraction at every moment.
‘মেসি ভগবান’কে ফ্রেম বন্দি করতে ভিন্ন রাজ্যের বাসিন্দারা, ২ নং গেটে একী কান্ড?
The ticket redemption process began at the end of last week. On the final day, fans coming to redeem their tickets displayed remarkable enthusiasm. Around the Yuva Bharati Stadium in Kolkata, Messi fans from different states were spotted gathering.
On this day, Argentine jerseys with Messi’s picture and the text “Welcome Messi” were being sold. Additionally, jerseys featuring East Bengal along with Argentina were available for ₹300. One seller stated, “Jersey sales have been quite good over the past few days. With Messi coming, we hope sales will increase even more on the day of the event.”
A buyer mentioned, “Messi is our god. To see him in person and wear his jersey—both are a huge privilege for me. We can’t miss this.”
Among the fans redeeming tickets, there were couples who were not residents of Kolkata. A pair from Odisha said, “We are Messi fans. We came here just to see our god in person.”
Fans like Sadanon from Manipur and Mounten and Mira from Assam also caught attention. A group of 30 friends came from Shillong. One of them, Danny, said, “Messi is the best among all footballers. If he had stayed a little longer in the stadium, our joy would have been even greater.”
In front of Gate No. 2 at Yuva Bharati, Andruman from Kerala was selling Messi stickers. He said, “I have been collecting these stickers for several years. I even designed some of them myself. Since Messi’s Kerala tour was canceled, I came to Kolkata. Messi has been my favorite footballer since childhood.”
Even before Messi’s arrival, Kolkata was already buzzing with Messi fever. Football fans were seen at every corner, eagerly waiting to see their beloved star, holding jerseys and stickers in hand.