Lionel Messi’s India tour has been a tale of sharp contrasts. After a frustrating experience in Kolkata marked by poor organization at the Yuva Bharati Stadium, the Argentine superstar moved on to Hyderabad, where things took a positive turn. With better crowd management and fan-focused planning, the Hyderabad leg restored the mood—leaving Messi cheerful as he now heads to Mumbai for a packed schedule today (Sunday).
From Kolkata Chaos to Hyderabad Relief
Messi departed Kolkata disappointed after spending only a few hours in the city, where extreme mismanagement overshadowed the excitement around his visit. Learning from those mistakes, organizers in Hyderabad shifted their focus to the spectators, ensuring smoother arrangements and a more welcoming atmosphere.
An official close to the event said,
“𝑯𝒚𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒃𝒂𝒅 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒎𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒔 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈. 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒂𝒏𝒔 𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒊𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒛𝒆𝒅, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒕 𝒎𝒂𝒅𝒆 𝒂 𝒉𝒖𝒈𝒆 𝒅𝒊𝒇𝒇𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆.”
As a result, Messi—popularly known as LM10—left the city in high spirits and ready for the next stop.
Mumbai Awaits: Packed Schedule and Star Encounters
Messi is scheduled to arrive in Mumbai by private jet from Hyderabad. His day will begin at the Cricket Club of India, where he is set to take part in an exhibition Padel Cup around 4:30 pm. The event may feature Indian sporting and entertainment icons, with names like Sachin Tendulkar and Shah Rukh Khan expected to be present.
Later, Messi will head to the iconic Wankhede Stadium, where a seven-a-side exhibition football match with Bollywood celebrities is planned. He is expected to stay at the venue from 5 pm to 8 pm, greeting fans and briefly taking the field.
Following the match, the Argentine legend will attend a charity fashion show featuring Bollywood stars such as John Abraham, Kareena Kapoor Khan, and Jackie Shroff. A highlight of the evening will be the auction of Messi memorabilia from Argentina’s 2022 World Cup triumph, held at a closed-venue event.
“There’s huge excitement in Mumbai because fans know they’ll finally get a proper glimpse of Messi,” said an event organizer. Meanwhile, speculation continues over a possible meeting between Messi and Virat Kohli, who has recently returned to Mumbai—though no official confirmation has been made yet.
As Messi moves from city to city, his India tour continues to balance setbacks with spectacular moments, with Mumbai now set to deliver one of its biggest highlights.
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