Lionel Messi in India: Tour to start in Kolkata on December 12

Lionel Messi’s long -awaited visit to India has received his last approval with the Argentinian superstar who kicked off his tour in Kolkata in Kolkata on December 12, said promoter of the Satadru Dutta event on Friday.

Kolkata will be the first stop in the journey of Messi called ‘Goat Tour of India 2025’, followed by Ahmedabad, Mumbai and New Delhi.

The visit will close after a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his home on December 15.

This will be the first journey from the Argentinian large to India since 2011 when he visited the country with his national team to play a FIFA -friendly against Venezuela in the Salt Lake Stadium.

«I got the authorization and then made it officially (on social media). Messi will post every day between August 28 and September with the official poster with all the details and a small introduction of his tour,» Dutta said PTIwho confirms his visit.

Dutta met Messi’s father earlier this year to present the proposal, and on 28 February Messi met him in his home for a 45 -minute discussion.

«I explained the plan and what we wanted to do. He seemed to be convinced that it was worth it and was dedicated to come,» said Dutta.

The entourage of Messi can also be Inter Miami teammates Rodrigo de Paul, Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets, but Dutta refused to announce any name.

Messi’s visit will contain Masterclass with children in every city, aimed at inspiring the next generation of Indian football players.

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He will land in Kolkata on the night of December 12 and two days and one night in his longest stop on the Tour.

His schedule of December 13 starts with a Meet-and-Greet in the morning, which will also have a special Food and Tea Festival.

“He is a fan of partner (Argentinian herbal tea), so I am doing a merger of Argentinian and Indian Assam tea. This will be an extra addition, on the sidelines of the Meet-and-Greet event on 13 December morning in his hotel (Taj Bengal).

«All Bengalian fish, including Hilsa, and sweet delicacies will be on the dish for the food festival,» Dutta revealed.

The highlight of the day will be the unveiling of the statue of Messi, followed by the ‘goat concert’ and ‘goat cup’ in Eden Gardens of Salt Lake Stadium.

Another addition of the Tour is the unveiling of his mural during the upcoming Durga Puja where fans «can post messages and draw something.»

“He will not only reveal his largest statue, we have a huge wall painting (dimensions of 25 feet and 20 feet wide) for him, which will be stored on strategic Durga Puja Pandal-Hopping locations so that all his fans are given an opportunity to paint and post messages in a nearby message box. That wall painting will be applied for the gathering.

He added that two-three possible mural locations were put on the shortlist and wait for the police.

Salt Lake Stadium is also considered as a back -uplocation for the Kolkata concert that is originally planned in Eden Gardens.

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«We have penciled at both locations and the final confirmation will come within 15 days,» said Dutta.

The Goat Cup in Eden Gardens will be a festive Zeven-a-Side Soft-Touch football match, in which Messi cooperates alongside Sourv Ganguly, Leander Paes, John Abraham and Bhaichung Bhutia.

Organizers expect a sold -out crowd, with tickets that will probably start from INR 3,500. West -bengal main minister Mamata Banerjee is expected to congratulate Messi during the program.

Security will be the top priority, he said.

«The police commissioner of Kolkata has made it clear that I am responsible for the schemes and to ensure that there is no security falling. The Messi team is also special about this. It is not only for him, but for every fan present. He wants everyone to go with a happy memory and without an unwanted incident,» Dutta emphasized.

Ahmedabad, Mumbai and Delhi legs

On the evening of December 13, Messi will travel to Ahmedabad for a private event organized by the Adani Foundation.

The Mumbai-Been on December 14 will contain a Meet-And-Greet in CCI Brabourne, followed by the Goat Concert and Goat Cup in the Wankhede Stadium.

The new addition is the Mumbai Padel Goat Cup at the CCI, Brabourne.

«Messi, a great fan of racket sport (usually played in a closed arena), Padel plays together with celebrities in the CCI Brabourne, Mumbai,» said Dutta.

Sources said that Shah Rukh Khan and Leander Paes are expecting, with Messi who may play for five to 10 minutes.

The Maharashtra Cricket Association also plans a ‘goat moment’ to combine Messi with Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma in the moment of Goat Captain, together with a Bollywood-Up with Ranveer Singh, Aamir Khanff.

In Delhi on December 15, Messi PM will meet in his home before he attends the Goat concert and the goat cup in Feroz Shah Kotla.

Sources showed that the Delhi District Cricket Association also invites Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill, who is a large «Messi fan», one day after playing India’s third T20i against South Africa in Dharamala.