KOLKATA, India — Lionel Messi’s much-hyped tour of India lurched into chaos at Kolkata’s Salt Lake stadium after his appearance at a ticketed fan event ended abruptly, triggering unrest in the stands and on the pitch. Police detained the chief organiser, pledged refunds for ticket holders and said the mishandling would not go unpunished.
Messi had been scheduled to spend 45 minutes at the event but departed after roughly 20 minutes. Tickets were priced from about 3,500 rupees (approximately €33), more than half the average weekly income in India, with at least one fan telling Reuters he paid about €110.
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Frustrated spectators ripped out plastic seats and hurled objects toward the field. Several climbed perimeter fencing and invaded the pitch, tugging down netting from a goalpost as security personnel struggled to regain control.
“Messi left quickly, I think he felt unsafe. I hardly got a glimpse of him,” one fan said, describing anger and disappointment that spread through the stands almost as soon as the star exited. The tour’s organisers did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
West Bengal police said Satadru Dutta, the event’s chief organiser, has been detained. “We’ve already detained the main organiser,” Rajeev Kumar, director general of West Bengal police, told reporters. “We’re taking action so that this mismanagement does not go unpunished.” Kumar added that the organiser had given a written pledge to refund tickets sold for the event.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee apologized to Messi and fans and ordered a formal probe. “I am deeply disturbed and shocked by the mismanagement witnessed today at Salt Lake stadium,” she posted on X, adding that a committee would conduct a detailed inquiry, assign responsibility and recommend measures to prevent repeat episodes. Banerjee said she was en route to the stadium when the situation deteriorated.
Messi is in India for a multi-city tour that includes concerts, youth football clinics, a padel tournament and charitable initiatives, with stops scheduled in Kolkata, Hyderabad, Mumbai and New Delhi. His whirlwind visit to Kolkata had been billed as a celebratory start, underscoring the city’s long-held passion for football in a cricket-dominated nation.
The Salt Lake venue, officially known as Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan, is one of India’s largest stadiums and a storied site for the sport. Messi last played there in 2011, when he captained Argentina for the first time in a 1-0 friendly win over Venezuela. Earlier, he virtually unveiled a 70-foot statue of himself in the city—another nod to Kolkata’s devotion to football and to Argentina’s enduring allure among local fans.
But Salt Lake has also been marred by crowd trouble. A 2012 Kolkata derby between East Bengal and Mohun Bagan was abandoned after a player was seriously injured by a brick thrown from the stands, one of several incidents that have periodically forced authorities to reassess security at major fixtures. Argentine great Diego Maradona drew huge crowds during two visits to the city, including in 2017, when he unveiled a statue of himself lifting the World Cup.
On this occasion, the flashpoint was not a game but unmet expectations. The abrupt truncation of Messi’s appearance—whether driven by safety concerns or poor planning—sparked a fast escalation as spectators realized the event was effectively over. Police moved to disperse pockets of unrest and clear the field, while ensuring the football icon exited the stadium safely.
As the investigation begins, the immediate focus for authorities and organizers is restoring trust, delivering refunds and recalibrating security and crowd management for any remaining tour stops. For fans who paid dearly for a brief glimpse of their idol, Kolkata’s latest football spectacle ended as a cautionary tale.
By Abdiwahab Ahmed
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
