A promotional appearance by Lionel Messi at Kolkata’s Salt Lake Stadium descended into chaos after thousands of fans, who paid up to 12,000 rupees for tickets, were left disappointed by his brief and heavily shielded presence.
Messi emerged on the pitch for around 20 minutes but was largely obscured by officials and celebrities before being escorted away early by security, triggering anger among sections of the crowd.
Some fans stormed the pitch, ripped up seats, vandalised banners and threw plastic chairs and bottles.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee apologised to Messi and fans, announced an enquiry into the incident, and said organisers would be held accountable, with police confirming the arrest of the event’s chief organiser. Messi’s representatives said he fulfilled his agreed commitment, while authorities said refunds for ticket holders were being considered.
Could you spot where the Messi is??
This was the view for fans who paid 10K, Wow pic.twitter.com/0wC1fuPPFH
— The Khel India (@TheKhelIndia) December 13, 2025
Could you spot where the Messi is??
This was the view for fans who paid 10K, Wow pic.twitter.com/0wC1fuPPFH
— The Khel India (@TheKhelIndia) December 13, 2025
