Kolkata: The much-awaited GOAT Tour India 2025 kicked off on Saturday with football icon Lionel Messi arriving at Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata, sparking massive fan excitement.
Along with Messi, his Inter Miami teammates, Luis Suarez and Rodrigo De Paul, joined the Argentine legend to wow Indian supporters.
It is only fitting to recognise the contributions his two colleagues do to football amid Messi’s mania in the city. In addition to being MLS stars for Miami, Suarez and De Paul are world-renowned figures in the sport.
Messi will be in India from December 13 to 15 as part of a busy trip that will visit four different locations. After leading Inter Miami to their first Major League Soccer championship earlier this week—the 48th trophy of his incredible career—he arrives hot off yet another career achievement.
The first destination on Messi’s hectic schedule is Kolkata. Before leaving for Hyderabad later in the day, he is expected to arrive at Salt Lake Stadium at approximately 11:30 AM.
Messi will also digitally inaugurate a 70-foot statue honouring his impact on the sport that has been erected close to the clock tower in Sribhumi, Lake Town, when he is in the city.
He does more than just play football in Kolkata. Meetings with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and former India cricket captain Sourav Ganguly are planned, as is a meeting with Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan, who is currently in the city with his boys.
Messi views the trip as a return to familiar territory. His most recent game was in Kolkata in 2011, when he helped Argentina defeat Venezuela 1-0 in a FIFA international friendly.
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Caption: Kolkata: A 70-foot iron structure depicting Lionel Messi lifting the FIFA World Cup trophy ahead of the footballer’s India tour in Kolkata on Friday, December 12, 2025. (Photo: IANS)
–IANS
