Furious supporters at Lionel Messi’s Indian exhibition ripped out seats and hurled projectiles onto the pitch following his appearance at Kolkata’s Salt Lake Stadium.
Thousands of jubilant supporters had paid up to 12,000 rupees (£100; $133) to see the football star, but were left frustrated when he emerged and went for a stroll round the pitch, obscured by a large delegation of officials and celebrities.
When Argentina and Inter Miami forward the player forwards was bundled out early by security after a similar time, sections of the crowd became hostile.
West Bengal’s chief minister, Mamata Banerjee, said she was “deeply disturbed and shocked” by the events.
“The [enquiry] committee will hold a thorough enquiry into the incident, fix the responsibility and suggest guidelines to ensure that such incidents do not take place again,” chief minister X said.
A spokesman for Messi said he met the previously agreed-upon time. Regarding the organisation of the event, He also referred the BBC to an apology from Banerjee he had posted on social media.
🚨BREAKING🚨:MESSI GOAT INDIA TOUR TURNS CHAOTIC IN KOLKATA ⚠️⚽
Fans at Salt Lake Stadium were left furious after Messi appeared briefly, with poor visibility and mismanagement sparking protests. Chairs and bottles were thrown, property damaged, pic.twitter.com/xMX0sT77Oy
— The_Independent (@TheIndeWire) December 13, 2025
The AFP news agency reports that a police official told reporters the event’s “chief organiser” had been arrested, but provided no other details.
Officials would investigate how organizers could issue refunds to people who had bought tickets, the official added.
“AIFF was neither to be a platform nor one of the stakeholders for this private event”.
Messi is currently in India for his ‘GOAT [greatest of all time] tour’ which will see him visiting Kolkata, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Delhi.
He launched his visit with the unwrapping of a 70ft (21m) statue of himself in Calcutta, built by a team of 45 people in 27 days. Messi beamed in by video because of the security conditions.
Thousands of supporters made their way to the city’s stadium to get a look at the footballer in the flesh.
They were singing, purchasing jerseys and donning “I love Messi” headbands.
Messi had been one of the players to walk out at the stadium waving to supporters, but after his presentation was cut short on Saturday some angry fans broke onto the pitch and vandalised banners and tents while others threw chairs and water bottles made of plastic.
The 2022 World Cup winner – widely regarded as one of football’s best ever players – had been due to play a brief exhibition match at the stadium, AFP news agency says.
“They were only leaders and actors around Messi… Why did they invite us? We have got a ticket for 12,000 rupees but we could not even see his face,” a fan at the stadium told Indian news agency ANI.
“You scammers, the tickets cost a month’s salary and I came all the way from Agra,” one fan told the Press Trust of India news agency.
“I bought the ticket for Rs 5,000 and came with my son to watch Messi, not politicians,” they said.
“The police and military were just taking selfies, and it’s management’s fault.
Joining Messi on his short trip were his Inter Miami teammate and Uruguay striker Luis Suarez, and Argentina’s Rodrigo de Paul.
Earlier Tuesday, the Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan had a meeting with Messi as well, Reuters news agency reported.
It is the capital of the Indian state West Bengal, and home to a passionate football following in a cricket-obsessed nation.
In the city, tens of freaking thousands of fans regularly turn up for derbies between local clubs.
Early on Saturday, thousands took to the streets and gathered outside the hotel where Messi was staying hoping to catch a glimpse of him.
Hitesh, a 24-year-old corporate lawyer travelled close to 1,900 km from the southern city of Bengaluru.
“For me it’s personal. As you can see I’m a very short guy, and I like to play football with my friends,” Hitesh told the BBC standing in front of the statue.
“Messi is the one that I felt most identified with, he is incomparable in talent level. He makes me believe that with talent you can do anything.”
