Thousands braved the December chill and waited past midnight to give a rousing welcome to Argentine superstar footballer Lionel Messi as he arrived in Kolkata for his whirlwind three-day, four-city GOAT India Tour 2025. The Barcelona legend's 2.26 am touchdown in the early hours of Saturday sent the city into a frenzy. Gate 4 of the international arrivals turned into a roaring sea of chants, flags and flashing phones, with fans sprinting between gates for even a fleeting glimpse of their favourite sports star.
VIDEO | West Bengal: Argentine footballer Lionel Messi arrived at Kolkata Airport accompanied by Luis Suarez and Rodrigo De Paul.
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) December 12, 2025
(Source: Third Party)#LionelMessi
(Full video available on PTI Videos - https://t.co/n147TvrpG7) pic.twitter.com/nNVfGvfpnX
Children perched on shoulders and drums rolled as Messi was whisked out through the VIP gate under massive security.
#WATCH | West Bengal | Star footballer Lionel Messi arrives in Kolkata, officially kicking off his G.O.A.T India Tour 2025. Visuals from outside the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport. pic.twitter.com/dzMK00Z5OP
— ANI (@ANI) December 12, 2025
A heavy convoy then escorted him to his hotel, where another huge crowd was waiting deep into the night.
#WATCH | West Bengal | Star footballer Lionel Messi arrives at the hotel he is staying at in Kolkata, after he touched down in the capital city a while ago, officially kicking off his G.O.A.T India Tour 2025. pic.twitter.com/PNuME8mAa5
— ANI (@ANI) December 12, 2025
Barricades, police deployment, and non-stop cheering completed a citywide eruption of "Messi mania." Messi arrived with long-time strike partner Luis Suarez and Argentina teammate Rodrigo De Paul. Over the next 72 hours, he will zip across Kolkata, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Delhi, meeting chief ministers, corporate leaders, Bollywood celebrities and eventually Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/RxnDaw2
Comments
Post a Comment