Argentine football icon Lionel Messi will walk across the stage in Mumbai “for a good cause” during his tour of India, with organizers asking him to bring selected memorabilia from their 2022 World Cup victory for auction.
This is what the sole promoter of the ‘GOAT India Tour 2025’, Satadru Dutta, said PTI Tuesday that Messi, along with his longtime striker Luis Suarez and Argentine midfielder Rodrigo De Paul, will appear in a 45-minute fashion segment on the night of December 14.
It will be a «philanthropic fashion show with a good cause,» Dutta said.
«It’s a completely reserved evening. There will be famous models, famous cricketers, Bollywood celebrities, millionaires, founders. Tiger and Jackie Shroff, John Abraham among others,» he said.
Suarez will also be part of a Spanish music show, while organizers have «made a formal request» to Messi to «bring some memorabilia from the 2022 World Cup, which will be auctioned» during the Mumbai leg of the tour.
The Mumbai event will start at 5pm at the Wankhede Stadium, preceded by a Padel Cup at 3.30pm at the Cricket Club of India.
READ | Messi’s entourage visits the venue in Hyderabad ahead of the GOAT Tour
Kolkata leg: Statue unveiling switched to virtual mode
In the Calcutta leg, the unveiling of Messi’s “largest statue ever” – a 22-metre-high structure – will take place virtually from his team hotel due to security concerns.
«The police have not given permission, so he will do it from the hotel. It will happen virtually in the morning,» said a source in the Calcutta police.
Earlier, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner was expected to personally visit Sreebhumi for the inauguration.
Vibrant murals of global football legends, including Lionel Messi, painted on the Gachibowli flyover pillars in Hyderabad. | Photo credit: G. RAMAKRISHNA
Vibrant murals of global football legends, including Lionel Messi, painted on the Gachibowli flyover pillars in Hyderabad. | Photo credit: G. RAMAKRISHNA
Kolkata Police sources confirmed that Messi will land in the city in the early hours of Saturday at 1.30 am and will stay at a five-star hotel on the EM Bypass.
There will be a sponsor-exclusive meet-and-greet program from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
A special Argentinian-Indian fusion food festival will be held on the sidelines, remembering Messi’s love for ‘mate’ (Argentine herbal tea).
Argentinian herbal teas infused with Assam flavors are on display, along with an array of Bengali fish delicacies – including hilsa – and an assortment of local sweets.
A 7.5 x 6 meter Messi mural planned for the upcoming Durga Puja season will also be unveiled.
“Not only will he unveil his biggest ever statue, we will also have a huge mural, which will be kept at strategic pandal-hopping locations in Durga Puja, so that all his fans get a chance 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.
An audience of over 70,000 people is expected for the Kolakta event.
«75,000 seats are open for spectators. There is a lot of demand and we have opened counter sales from Tuesday,» Dutta said.
After the meet-and-greet, Messi will head to the Salt Lake Stadium before leaving for Hyderabad at 2 p.m.
Hyderabad leg
Following the cancellation of its proposed friendly in Kochi – originally announced by Kerala Sports Minister V Abdurahiman for November 17 – organizers added Hyderabad to create a pan-India tour: East (Kolkata), South (Hyderabad), West (Mumbai), North (New Delhi).
At Jubilee Hills Check Post there is a huge poster featuring football star Lionel Messi and Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy. Messi will play a friendly football match against the Chief Minister’s team on December 13. | Photo credit: G. RAMAKRISHNA
At Jubilee Hills Check Post there is a huge poster featuring football star Lionel Messi and Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy. Messi will play a friendly football match against the Chief Minister’s team on December 13. | Photo credit: G. RAMAKRISHNA
Messi will attend the Hyderabad GOAT Cup at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Uppal from 7 pm, supported by Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy.
The Hyderabad program includes a 7v7 match between celebrities, a masterclass for scouted young talents, penalty shootouts and a musical concert in honor of Messi.
Last leg and meeting with PM
The World Cup winner will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his residence in Delhi on Monday.
Minerva Academy’s youth team, which won three major European titles earlier this year, will be congratulated in the presence of Messi during the GOAT Tour leg in New Delhi.
The U-14 and U-15 teams of the Punjab-based academy had won the Gothia Cup, Dana Cup and Norway Cup during their July-August tour, while also reaching the final of the Helsinki Cup. Messi’s visit to the capital will also feature a nine-member celebrity competition.
Messi’s visit to India, his first since 2011 when he played a friendly for Argentina against Venezuela in Calcutta, received its final approval on August 15.
Dutta had met Messi’s father, who is also his agent, before clinching the deal, then held a 45-minute meeting with the football legend at his home on February 28.
Published on December 9, 2025
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