Football superstar Lionel Messi arrived in the Indian city of Kolkata in the early hours of this Saturday morning as part of his "GOAT Tour 2025", where he was welcomed by thousands of enthusiastic fans.
Crowds of fans wearing Argentine flags and jerseys gathered in front of the airport and along the road to the hotel, chanting Messi's name and celebrating the arrival of the world football legend.
The convoy of vehicles carrying Messi left the airport under tight security, as fans danced and cheered their idol.
Among the crowd were fans from neighboring countries. One of them, who traveled from Nepal, said coming to India and having the chance to see Messi was a dream come true.
"This is one of my dreams, just to see Messi. We used to watch him play, stay up late at night and skip commitments, and now I'm here in India. It feels great," the fan said.
After arriving at the hotel, numerous fans gathered again in front of the facility, among whom were waving flags with messages of support and the emblems of local Messi fan clubs, and then the Argentine appeared at the Salt Lake Stadium in front of 110,000 spectators.
The people of Kolkata also prepared a big surprise for Messi on the first stop of his tour. Specifically, they created a 22-meter statue of Messi holding the World Cup trophy, which was unveiled at the ceremony.
Messi's three-day tour of India begins today and during his stay he is scheduled to visit four major cities, including Kolkata and Mumbai. According to reports, the Argentine star will also meet Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi during his visit. /Telegraph/
