Chaos at Messi’s India visit prompts police intervention
Lionel Messi’s visit to India descended into chaos on Saturday when supporters at Kolkata’s Salt Lake Stadium tore up seating and hurled objects onto the playing surface following the footballer’s fleeting appearance, reports BritPanorama.
The Argentina captain and Inter Miami forward stayed at the venue for approximately 20 minutes before being escorted away by security, sparking fury among the assembled crowd.
Footage circulating on social media captured spectators launching bottles and damaging fibreglass seats. Some climbed barriers surrounding the pitch to prevent debris from being thrown onto the field and athletics track.
Police were forced to intervene as officials struggled to maintain order amid the escalating unrest. Supporters who had spent up to £100 on tickets expressed outrage at being denied even a glimpse of the World Cup winner, who was obscured by a large entourage of officials and security personnel throughout his brief walkabout in the stadium.
The 37-year-old had arrived at the stadium at approximately 11.15am local time but was unable to complete a full circuit of the venue before being rushed away. The chaotic scenes prompted a swift response from West Bengal’s chief minister, Mamata Banerjee.
Banerjee said she was “deeply disturbed and shocked” by what had unfolded at the stadium. She announced that an inquiry committee would conduct a detailed investigation into the incident, fix responsibility, and recommend measures to prevent such occurrences in the future.
Saturday’s event marked Messi’s first return to India since 2011. The former capital city constructed a 70-foot statue of the footballer to commemorate his arrival.
The stadium appearance was intended as the opening engagement of a broader Indian tour, during which the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner is scheduled to attend concerts, youth football clinics, a padel tournament, and charitable initiatives across Hyderabad, Mumbai, and Delhi.
A fan at the stadium told Indian news agency ANI: “Only leaders and actors were surrounding Messi. Why did they call us then? We have got a ticket for 12 thousand rupees, but we were not even able to see his face.”
One angry fan told the Press Trust of India news agency that people had paid the equivalent of a month’s salary to see the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner. They said: “I paid Rs 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.”
In many ways, Saturday’s debacle lays bare the chasm between celebrity and fandom, reminding us how easily adoration can become disillusionment when expectations collide with reality.
