Kolkata Messi Event: Kolkata Police have arrested Satadru Dutta, the chief organiser of the event featuring Argentine football icon Lionel Messi, following chaos and vandalism at Salt Lake Stadium that forced the superstar to leave earlier than scheduled. Messi's brief visit to Kolkata turned into mayhem as angry fans, frustrated by their inability to catch even a glimpse of the world-renowned footballer during his fleeting 22-minute appearance at Salt Lake Stadium on Saturday morning, broke security protocols.
The West Bengal Director General of Police, Rajeev Kumar has instructed organisers to refund ticket prices to the disappointed spectators.
What was meant to be a red-letter day for football fans in the City of Joy turned into a virtual nightmare, with “less of Messi” and more of what many described as a “royal mess”, as disorder prevailed inside the stadium.
This marked Messi's first visit to Salt Lake Stadium since 2011, but the event turned into a disorderly affair. Messi arrived at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (Salt Lake Stadium) around 11:30 AM, accompanied by his long-time strike partner Luis Suarez and Argentina teammate Rodrigo De Paul. He was the first to take the field, briefly waving at the crowd as he made his way around. However, Messi was constantly surrounded by VIPs, organisers, and security personnel, effectively blocking spectators' view from the stands.
Thousands of fans had braved the December chill and waited until past midnight to welcome Messi, who was in Kolkata as part of his three-day, four-city "GOAT India Tour 2025". They were met with frustration and anger after failing to see the football legend in person.
Messi's Kolkata Event Turns Messy, Angry Fans Go On Rampage, Vandalise Salt Lake Stadium | What We Know So Far
- West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose was on Saturday evening "denied" entry into the Salt Lake Stadium, hours after chaos and crowd trouble at the venue marred an event featuring football legend Lionel Messi.
Bose described the denial of entry as an affront to the constitutional position of the Governor, and sought a reply from the authorities.
“I never write a report without seeing the place… My report is half ready. I want to see for myself what happens in ground zero,” he told reporters outside the stadium, adding that he would give the authorities “one more chance to open the gate”.
“Is this the way Bengal treats its Governor? The Governor is not a rubber stamp,” Bose said, terming the episode a “ghastly irrelevance of a constitutional authority”. Bose said he would revisit the stadium on Sunday and examine the issue in depth.
- Trinamool Congress MP Kunal Ghosh on Saturday questioned whether the chaos at the Salt Lake Stadium that erupted during the GOAT India tour of Football Icon Lionel Messi was "pre-planned" and said whatever happened was very unfortunate.
- After the unfortunate chaos that broke out in Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium due to fans' anger at VIPs and politicians allegedly hogging Messi's time and attention during the visit there, the 38-year-old's visit to Hyderabad was a fun experience for everyone involved. He took part in a 7-on-7 exhibition football match involving the state's Chief Minister, Revanth Reddy, soaked in the love from a passionate and loud audience and also met the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi.
- The AIFF (All India Football Federation) took to social media and made a statement around the chaos that erupted in Kolkata due to Messi's visit. "The All India Football Federation is deeply concerned by the events that transpired at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan, where thousands of fans gathered to witness world football stars Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, and Rodrigo de Paul," the AIFF stated.
- Following the chaos at Football star Lionel Messi's event and vandalism by angry fans at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata, State's Governor C V Anand Bose visits the stadium to assess the damage.
- Taking suo motu cognisance of the stadium unrest, Satadru Datta was held by the Bidhannagar Police for “mismanagement” of the event from the Kolkata airport, where he had gone to see off Messi and his entourage on their way to Hyderabad.
- Suvendu Adhikari, the Bharatiya Janata Party leader and the Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal assembly, on Saturday, reacted sharply to vandalism in the Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata, during an event featuring football legend Lionel Messi, demanding resignation from West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and an independent probe into the matter.
- West Bengal Sports Minister Aroop Biswas has revealed that the government has ordered an investigation into the matter, and he will not comment on anything regarding the chaotic incident at Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium during Argentine legend Lionel Messi's GOAT Tour event on Saturday.
- Kolkata Police have arrested Satadru Dutta, the main organiser of the event following chaos and vandalism at Salt Lake Stadium that forced the global icon to leave earlier than scheduled.
- West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee ordered a high-level enquiry on Saturday. She expressed regret over the mismanagement of the event and apologised to Messi, his fans, and sports lovers. Banerjee said she was on the way to the Salt Lake stadium to attend the event, along with thousands of fans, who had gathered to catch a glimpse of the football icon.
- Both the ruling Trinamool Congress and the opposition BJP criticised the organisers, with the event ending in chaos as irate spectators vandalised parts of the stadium after failing to get a proper view of Messi.
- The situation quickly spiralled out of control after Messi appeared from the tunnel. Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, former India captain Sourav Ganguly, and Chief Minister Banerjee were among the dignitaries who were unable to participate in the programme as the event was cut short due to the escalating unrest.
- Due to unrest, Satadru Dutta, the organiser of the ‘GOAT Tour’, along with security personnel, had to rush Messi out of the stadium. Supporters of the ruling Trinamool Congress breached security and entered the playing field, further fuelling the disarray. The police had to baton-charge to disperse the crowd on the field.
- Fans claimed that they could not see Messi properly, either directly or on the stadium's giant screens, despite waiting since morning.
- Fans, who had paid anywhere between Rs 4,500 and Rs 10,000 for tickets, were enraged when they were unable to see Messi, either directly or on the stadium's giant screens. Bottles were thrown, and fibreglass seats were damaged, forcing police to intervene. As chants of "We want Messi" rang out across the stadium, the police had to use batons to disperse the crowd.
- Messi was escorted off the field within minutes, well before several invited dignitaries had arrived, further exacerbating the frustration. However, the damage had been done. The event, which was meant to be a celebration of one of football's most celebrated stars, was overshadowed by chaos.
- Supporters hurled bottles onto the field, damaged banners, hoardings, and plastic chairs, and some attempted to break through barricades in the galleries to force their way onto the pitch. Police struggled to contain the situation, which had turned into a full-blown disruption.
- As tempers flared, some members of the crowd began demanding the arrest of state Sports Minister Aroop Biswas and event organiser Satadru Dutta, blaming them for what they called the "gross mismanagement" of the high-profile event.
- Messi, who arrived with Suarez and De Paul, will continue his tour across India over the next 72 hours, visiting Kolkata, Hyderabad, Mumbai, and Delhi. He is scheduled to meet with chief ministers, corporate leaders, Bollywood celebrities, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday.
- The Barcelona legend's 2.26 am touchdown in the early hours of Saturday sent the city into a frenzy. Gate 4 of the international arrivals turned into a roaring sea of chants, flags and flashing phones, with fans sprinting between gates for even a fleeting glimpse of their favourite star.
- This incident has raised serious concerns about crowd management and event planning for high-profile international appearances in Kolkata.