Lionel Messi’s blink and Miss Kolkata event angers fans, bottles thrown

Mangalore Today News Network

Kolkata, December 13, 2025: Lionel Messi’s much-hyped Kolkata leg of the G.O.A.T. Tour on Saturday turned out to be a chaotic experience for the thousands who came to watch the superstar at the Yuva Bharati Krirangan. The reason: they could not get a glimpse of the Argentine football great. Despite paying a hefty sum for the event, with tickets ranging from Rs 5,000 to Rs 25,000, several fans claimed they could not even properly see the football legend. The presence of security personnel and other guests in close proximity to Messi meant that fans could not properly see him from the stands. The resulting anger, with chairs and bottles being thrown, forced the organisers to whisk Messi away.

Messi arrived at the venue at 11:15 a.m. and stayed for approximately 30 minutes. The 2022 World Cup winner was supposed to take a full lap of the stadium, but he did not due to the chaos.

Moments after Messi emerged from the tunnel, the situation spiralled out of control. Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, who had arrived in Kolkata for the special event, along with former India captain Sourav Ganguly and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, were unable to be part of the programme as the event was cut short amid the chaos.

Such was the situation that promoter Shatadru Datta, organiser of the G.O.A.T. Tour, along with security personnel, had to whisk Messi away from the Salt Lake Stadium. Several fans also barged into the ground and vandalised the canopies set up for the event.

Messi’s brief 5-minute appearance sparked chaos at Salt Lake Stadium, West Bengal as angry fans turned violent, throwing bottles, belts, chairs and vandalising hoardings.#Messi𓃵 #GOAT #MessiInIndia
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— Sarcasm (@sarcastic_us) December 13, 2025

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has apologised for the chaotic turn of events and ordered an enquiry.

"I am deeply disturbed and shocked by the mismanagement witnessed today at Salt Lake Stadium. I was on my way to the stadium to attend the event along with thousands of sports lovers and fans who had gathered to catch a glimpse of their favourite footballer, Lionel Messi," Banerjee posted on X.

"I sincerely apologise to Lionel Messi, as well as to all sports lovers and his fans, for the unfortunate incident.

"I am constituting an enquiry committee under the chairmanship of Justice (Retd.) Ashim Kumar Ray, with the Chief Secretary and the Additional Chief Secretary, Home and Hill Affairs Department, as members. The committee will conduct a detailed enquiry into the incident, fix responsibility, and recommend measures to prevent such occurrences in the future."