Lionel Messi’s much-hyped three-day visit to India was meant to be a celebration for football fans across the country. While the Argentine icon enjoyed smoother receptions in Hyderabad, Mumbai, and Delhi, the tour began on a sour note in Kolkata. Chaos at the Yuva Bharati Sports Complex not only disrupted the event but also drew global attention for all the wrong reasons.
Organizers were widely criticized for poor planning after fans, unable to see Messi properly, resorted to vandalism inside the stadium. However, Indian cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar has now shifted part of the blame directly onto the World Cup-winning captain, questioning whether Messi fulfilled his commitments.
Gavaskar Questions Messi’s Early Exit
In his column for Sportstar, Gavaskar raised a pointed question about Messi’s decision to leave the stadium early. According to him, Messi was expected to remain on the field for a fixed duration as per the agreement, but he departed far sooner, leaving thousands of paying spectators frustrated.
“𝑬𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒃𝒍𝒂𝒎𝒆𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑲𝒐𝒍𝒌𝒂𝒕𝒂 𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒕, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒏𝒐 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒒𝒖𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒐𝒏 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒅𝒊𝒅𝒏’𝒕 𝒌𝒆𝒆𝒑 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒎𝒊𝒔𝒆,” 𝑮𝒂𝒗𝒂𝒔𝒌𝒂𝒓 𝒘𝒓𝒐𝒕𝒆.
He argued that fans who spent large sums of money deserved more than a brief appearance, adding that the disappointment played a major role in triggering unrest inside the venue.
“Was It Too Much to Ask?” Gavaskar Asks
Gavaskar further dismissed suggestions that Lionel’s safety was under serious threat. He claimed the presence of politicians and VIPs did not create a situation that was out of control and wondered if a small gesture from Messi could have changed everything.
“𝑾𝒂𝒔 𝒊𝒕 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒕𝒐𝒐 𝒎𝒖𝒄𝒉 𝒕𝒐 𝒂𝒔𝒌 𝒉𝒊𝒎 𝒕𝒐 𝒘𝒂𝒍𝒌 𝒂𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒅𝒊𝒖𝒎 𝒐𝒏𝒄𝒆, 𝒐𝒓 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒂 𝒑𝒆𝒏𝒂𝒍𝒕𝒚?” 𝑮𝒂𝒗𝒂𝒔𝒌𝒂𝒓 𝒒𝒖𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒅.
He noted that Messi reportedly stayed for less than half an hour, far shorter than expected. According to Gavaskar, had the football superstar remained on the field for the promised time or interacted briefly with fans, the mood in the stadium could have been completely different.
In Gavaskar’s view, Messi’s early departure became the final trigger for fan anger, turning disappointment into chaos and leaving a stain on what was meant to be a historic tour for Indian football fans.
Also Read: Dembele Speaks Out After Completing Ballon d’Or–FIFA Best Double