Lionel Messi’s tour of India concluded in New Delhi on Monday, December 15. After a whirlwind go to to 4 cities, Messi introduced the much-publicised GOAT Tour to a detailed with a short cease within the nationwide capital. Within the remaining moments of the tour, the Argentine icon addressed his followers and expressed his gratitude to India for its heat hospitality. Talking in Spanish, Messi mentioned that he hoped that he would return to India once more, hopefully to play a match.
Lionel Messi’s Argentina was anticipated to play a match in Kerala this 12 months. Nevertheless, that plan was postponed after the authorities didn’t get the required clearances. Nevertheless, a sports activities promoter from Bengal, Satadru Dutta satisfied Messi to come back to India for a non-public occasion, the place he would go round totally different cities and meet the keen followers.
Messi arrived in India within the early hours of Saturday, December 13. Over the course of his go to, he traveled to Kolkata, Hyderabad, Mumbai, and New Delhi, the place he attended a mixture of public appearances and personal engagements. On Monday, Messi visited the Arun Jaitley Stadium, the place he met ICC president Jay Shah, who introduced him with a ticket for the India vs USA match on the 2026 T20 World Cup.
Lionel Messi in India: Delhi-leg Highlights
As all through the tour, Messi was accompanied by Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul. The trio had been welcomed by an enthusiastic crowd in Delhi, which remained affected person and cheerful regardless of lengthy delays within the programme.
Throughout his temporary look on the stadium, Messi thanked the Indian followers and mentioned that whereas he had at all times identified in regards to the love he acquired in India, witnessing it in individual made the expertise much more particular. He added that the tour, though quick, was intense and unforgettable.
“I simply wish to thank everybody for the love and affection throughout lately in India. It was really a ravishing expertise for us to have the ability to share it,” Messi mentioned.
“And though it was quick and intense, it was great to obtain all this love that I knew existed, however receiving it instantly was wonderful. It was a loopy expertise, every little thing they did for us throughout lately. We feature all this love with us, and we will certainly return, hopefully someday to play a match or on one other event. We will definitely return to go to India. Thanks very a lot,” the legendary Argentine concluded.
Messi is predicted to fly to Ahmedabad tonight, the place he’ll spend the evening at Anant Ambani’s Vantara.
Lionel Messi’s journey to India
The legendary footballer’s tour of India acquired off to a shaky begin after a mismanaged occasion in Kolkata. Messi left Kolkata early on December 13 and flew straight to Hyderabad the place he had a kickabout with the Telangana CM Revanth Reddy.
After his Hyderabad leg on Saturday, Messi participated in varied occasions in Mumbai, starting from a padel occasion to a vogue present. The spotlight of the Mumbai occasion was maybe the time he spent on the Wankhede Stadium, the place Messi met Sunil Chhetri and Sachin Tendulkar amongst others.
On Monday, Messi’s flight to Delhi was delayed on account of intense fog in Delhi. He was put up on the Leela Palace resort from the place he traveled to attend a small occasion on the Arun Jaitley Stadium.
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