Argentine football icon Lionel Messi’s much-anticipated visit to India took an ugly turn at its first stop in Kolkata, where poor crowd management led to chaos, vandalism, and an early exit by the world champion.

Lionel Messi, the World Cup–winning captain of Argentina and global football superstar, arrived in India as part of his GOAT India Tour, which includes promotional and charity events.

His Kolkata visit was scheduled as a major celebration at the Salt Lake Stadium, officially known as Yubha Bharati Krirangan, but quickly descended into disorder.

#WATCH | Kolkata, West Bengal: Angry fans resort to vandalism at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata, alleging poor management of the event.

Star footballer Lionel Messi has left the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata.

A fan of star footballer Lionel Messi said, "Absolutely terrible… pic.twitter.com/TOf2KYeFt9
— ANI (@ANI) December 13, 2025

Ceremony draws massive crowd

Messi entered the Salt Lake Stadium around 11:30am, greeted by deafening cheers from thousands of fans packed into the stands.

He paraded around the ground, waving and smiling, as the crowd continued to swell, making it increasingly difficult for police to manage the gathering.

#WATCH | Kolkata, West Bengal: Angry fans threw bottles and chairs from the stands at Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium

Star footballer Lionel Messi has left the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata.

More details awaited. pic.twitter.com/mcxi6YROyr
— ANI (@ANI) December 13, 2025

Messi was surrounded by West Bengal Sports Minister Aroop Biswas, organiser Satadru Dutta, Mohun Bagan Athletic Club executives Srinjoy Bose and Debasish Dutta, along with a heavy police deployment.

He was accompanied by his Inter Miami teammates Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, but the close proximity of political leaders, organisers, and officials left fans in the stands frustrated.

Fans denied access as expectations go unmet

The Kolkata leg was planned as a four-hour programme starting at 9am, with Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan listed among key guests.

However, Khan met Messi earlier in the day during the virtual unveiling of Messi’s 70-foot statue, alongside Bidhannagar MP Sujit Bose, and did not appear at the stadium event.

Fans boo officials and politicians, with bottles also thrown, as a security breach forces Lionel Messi to cut short his stadium lap at Salt Lake Stadium. pic.twitter.com/uS9qU8F74v
— Khel Now (@KhelNow) December 13, 2025

Messi was scheduled to conduct a coaching clinic with children from all districts of West Bengal, a “Master Class with Messi,” and attend a felicitation ceremony for Bengal’s Santosh Trophy-winning team.

Due to the uncontrollable crowd situation, these planned events could not be completed.

Fans pay high prices, leave angry

Many fans had paid between 4,500 and 10,000 Indian rupees, while some tickets reportedly went up to 20,000 INR, expecting a clear glimpse of Messi or to see him perform basic football skills.

Instead, Messi’s early departure left the crowd infuriated, with loud boos echoing through the stadium.

As Messi left the stadium amid tight security, angry fans began throwing water bottles, chairs, and posters onto the ground.

Several spectators broke chairs with sticks, vandalised fibreglass seats, tore down posters, and damaged temporary structures and tents inside the stadium.

Security fence breached, pitch invaded

A large number of fans broke through the security fence and entered the ground, gathering in the central area of the stadium.

As the situation worsened, the Rapid Action Force (RAF) was deployed to bring the unrest under control.

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
pic.twitter.com/PwRzP7BDeD
— Sarcasm (@sarcastic_us) December 13, 2025

Sanmoy, one of the attendees, said there were “more people around Messi than in a Durga Puja pandal,” calling the situation ridiculous.

He criticised organisers and security personnel, alleging that some policemen were trying to take selfies with Messi instead of controlling the crowd.

Further fan accounts highlight mismanagement

Another fan, Archisman Rakshit, said the organisers appeared to prioritise their own people over ticket-holding fans.

He added that security struggled to maintain a human chain, noting that Luis Suárez was pushed and Rodrigo De Paul looked visibly annoyed during the chaos.

After Messi’s departure, several fans chose to leave the venue to avoid trouble as anger spread through the stadium.

Within minutes, parts of the venue were overrun by fans venting their frustration through vandalism.

CM Banerjee apologises

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday issued an apology to football legend Lionel Messi after chaos erupted at Kolkata’s Salt Lake Stadium during the GOAT Tour event.

In a social media post, Mamata expressed regret over the incident, saying she was deeply sorry to Messi, sports enthusiasts, and his fans for what had happened.

She also announced the formation of an inquiry committee, to be headed by retired Justice Ashim Kumar Ray, with the chief secretary and the additional chief secretary of the Home and Hill Affairs Department as members. The panel has been tasked with conducting a thorough investigation, identifying those responsible, and recommending steps to ensure such incidents do not occur again.

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.

I…
— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) December 13, 2025

Governor seeks report on arrangements

West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose wrote to the state government seeking a detailed report on the arrangements for Messi’s Kolkata programme.

According to Lok Bhavan officials, the governor acted after receiving complaints from football enthusiasts who said they could not even glimpse Messi despite paying hefty ticket prices.

Governor Bose questioned the role of the state government in Messi’s visit and asked why a person or group was allowed to earn money at the expense of the public’s emotions.

He sought clarity on the planning and execution of the event that left thousands disappointed.

Messi’s India tour to continue

Despite the chaotic start, Messi is scheduled to fly to Hyderabad later in the evening to attend an event with Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy.

He will then travel to Mumbai before concluding his India tour in New Delhi, where he is set to attend an event at Arun Jaitley Stadium and meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi.