- By Gurmeet Batra
- Tue, 09 Dec 2025 04:52 PM (IST)
- Source:PTI
Messi India Tour: Argentine football icon Lionel Messi will walk the ramp in Mumbai "for a cause" during his India tour, the organisers of which have requested him to bring select memorabilia from their 2022 World Cup triumph for an auction.
The sole promoter of the 'G.O.A.T. India Tour 2025', Satadru Dutta, told PTI on Tuesday that Messi, along with long-time strike partner Luis Suarez and Argentina midfielder Rodrigo De Paul, will feature in a 45-minute fashion segment on the night of December 14.
"It will be a philanthropic fashion show for a cause. It's a fully reserved night. There will be celebrity models, celebrity cricketers, Bollywood celebrities, millionaires, and founders. Tiger and Jackie Shroff, John Abraham, among others," Dutta told PTI.
Suarez will also be part of a Spanish music show, while the organisers have "made a formal request" for Messi to bring "some memorabilia of the 2022 World Cup which will be auctioned" during the Mumbai leg of the tour.
The Mumbai event starts at 5 pm at Wankhede Stadium, preceded by a Padel Cup at 3.30 pm at Cricket Club of India.
Messi India Tour Kolkata Leg
In the Kolkata leg, the unveiling of Messi's "biggest ever statue" -- a 70-foot structure -- will be done virtually from his team hotel owing to security concerns.
"The police have not given permission, so he will do it from the hotel. It will be done virtually in the morning," a Kolkata Police source said.
Earlier, the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner was scheduled to visit Sreebhumi in person for the inauguration. Kolkata Police sources confirmed Messi will land in the city at 1.30 am in the wee hours of Saturday and will stay at a five-star hotel on the EM Bypass.
A sponsor-exclusive meet-and-greet programme will run from 9.30 am to 10.30 am.
A special Argentine–Indian fusion food festival will be held on the sidelines, keeping in mind Messi's love for 'mate' (Argentine herbal tea).
It will showcase Argentine herbal tea infused with Assam flavours, along with a spread of Bengali fish delicacies -- including hilsa -- and an assortment of local sweets.
A 25ft x 20ft Messi mural, planned for the upcoming Durga Puja season, will also be unveiled.
"Not only will he unveil his biggest-ever statue, but we will also have a huge mural, which will be kept at strategic Durga Puja pandal-hopping locations so that all his fans will have an opportunity to paint and post messages in a nearby message box," Dutta said.
The mural will be presented to Messi at the Salt Lake Stadium during the Kolkata leg of the tour. A crowd of more than 70,000 is expected for the Kolakta event.
"75,000 seats are open for spectators. There is heavy demand, and we have made counter sales open from Tuesday," Dutta said.
After the meet-and-greet, Messi will proceed to Salt Lake Stadium before departing for Hyderabad at 2 pm.
Messi India Tour: Hyderabad Leg
Following the cancellation of his proposed friendly match in Kochi — originally announced by Kerala Sports Minister V Abdurahiman for November 17 — the organisers added Hyderabad to create a pan-India tour: East (Kolkata), South (Hyderabad), West (Mumbai), North (New Delhi).
Messi will attend the Hyderabad GOAT Cup at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Uppal, from 7 pm, backed by Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy.
The Hyderabad programme includes a 7v7 celebrity match, a masterclass for scouted young talents, penalty shootouts, and a musical concert celebrating Messi.
Messi To Meet PM Modi
The World Cup winner will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his residence in Delhi on Monday. Minerva Academy's youth team, which swept three major European titles earlier this year, will be felicitated in the presence of Messi during the GOAT Tour's New Delhi leg.
The Punjab-based academy's U-14 and U-15 squads had won the Gothia Cup, Dana Cup and Norway Cup during their July-August tour, while also reaching the Helsinki Cup final. There will also be a nine-member celebrity match during Messi's visit to the capital.
Messi's India visit, his first since 2011, when he played a friendly for Argentina against Venezuela in Kolkata, received its final seal of approval on August 15.
Dutta had met Messi's father, who is also his agent, before securing the deal, and then held a 45-minute meeting with the football legend at his home on February 28.
