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Messi Mania Grips Kolkata As He Arrives For GOAT India Tour; Fans Throng Airport: WATCH
ABP Live News | December 13, 2025 9:41 AM CST

Kolkata erupted into pure football frenzy in the wee hours of Saturday as Lionel Messi, the Argentine football icon, touched down at 2:26 am for his whirlwind GOAT India Tour 2025.

Thousands of fans shrugged off the biting December cold, waiting well past midnight at the airport's Gate 4, where chants echoed, Argentine flags waved wildly, and phone cameras lit up the night like stars.

The excitement peaked as children balanced on parents' shoulders and drums thumped rhythmically while security hustled Messi, flanked by longtime strike partner Luis Suárez and teammate Rodrigo De Paul, through the VIP exit. 

A massive police-escorted convoy then sped them to the hotel, battling another sea of cheering supporters who refused to call it a night. Barricades strained under the pressure of non-stop adulation in this citywide explosion of "Messi mania."

This marks Messi's first trip back to India since 2011, when he dazzled in Kolkata with a friendly match at Salt Lake Stadium with Argentina edging Venezuela 1-0. 

Fans had camped out for hours, channelling their passion into an unforgettable welcome. One thrilled fan told ANI, "We have been waiting for two hours. If needed, we will wait for even four hours. We can't miss this one in a lifetime opportunity."

Another gushed, "I am very excited. It is a dream come true. Truly magical. If God wants, I will definitely be able to meet him." A third admirer captured the sentiment perfectly: "We are very excited. He's a magician, the GOAT (greatest of all time)... We are here to catch just a glimpse of him... Love you, Messi."

Over the next 72 hours, the Barcelona legend's packed itinerary kicks off in Kolkata with high-profile meets, then races to Hyderabad, Mumbai, and caps in Delhi. He is set to meet chief ministers, business tycoons, Bollywood stars, and even Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday.

The pan-India GOAT Tour 2025 will start in the East on December 13, hit the South, swing West on the December 14, and wrap in the North on the December 15.

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