Chaos erupted during Lionel Messi‘s “GOAT Tour” in India, as fans threw torn seats and rushed onto the field during his brief appearance. This incident occurred on Saturday as the Argentina star made his way through the city.
Messi’s tour includes stops in Kolkata, Hyderabad, Mumbai, and New Delhi. However, the event faced a rocky start, with his time on the field cut to just 20 minutes due to the unrest.
The main highlight of the day’s festivities was set to be the unveiling of a massive 70-foot statue of Messi, touted as the largest statue of a footballer ever created.
Accompanied by teammates Luis Suarez and Rodrigo De Paul, Messi walked a brief distance on the pitch, waving to fans amid roaring chants of “Messi, Messi.” However, attendees quickly noticed that Messi was kept securely behind barriers and was mostly out of view from many sections of the stadium.
His appearance concluded before he could complete a lap around the stadium, leading to disturbances among the crowd.
“Only leaders and actors were around Messi,” a fan expressed to ANI news agency. “Why were we even invited?”
“We paid 12,000 rupees ($130) for tickets, but we couldn’t even see his face.”
In the aftermath, Mamata Banerjee, the chief minister of the region, issued an apology to Messi and announced a probe into the events.
“I am deeply disturbed and shocked by the mismanagement observed today at Salt Lake Stadium,” Banerjee stated on X. “I sincerely apologize to Lionel Messi, as well as to all sports enthusiasts and his fans, for the unfortunate incident.”
“I am forming an inquiry committee that will conduct a thorough investigation into the incident, assign responsibility, and recommend measures to prevent such occurrences in the future.”
– The best (and worst) statues ever – including a 70-foot Messi
– Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi wins MLS MVP for 2nd straight year
– Messi tracker: Goals, assists, key moments for Inter Miami