The start of Lionel Messi’s GOAT Tour of India has come under scrutiny following his brief appearance at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata on Saturday morning.
The Argentine football superstar is on a three-day visit to India as part of the GOAT Tour, which marks his first trip to the country since playing in a friendly against Venezuela in Calcutta in 2011.
However, the opening stages of the tour descended into chaos after Messi abruptly left the Salt Lake Stadium, sparking anger among ticket-paying fans. Parts of the crowd destroyed parts of the hall in protest.
The GOAT Tour is organized and promoted by West Bengal-based Satadru Dutta, which operates under the banner of ‘A Satadru Dutta Initiative’. In the past, Dutta was involved in bringing global football icons such as Pele, Diego Maradona and Cafu to India.
In the aftermath of the unrest in Kolkata, Dutta was detained at the Kolkata airport on Saturday while he was on his way to Hyderabad, West Bengal Director General of Police Rajeev Kumar confirmed.
Kumar said a government-appointed committee would investigate all aspects of the event, including whether mismanagement played a role in the failure of arrangements on the ground.
Published on December 13, 2025
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