Messi departed the stadium amid growing fan frustration, with bottles and chairs reportedly thrown inside the venue. Police were deployed to control the situation and restore order.
Mamata Banerjee (Photo: Kuntal Chakrabarty/IANS) Argentine footballer Lionel Messi arrives at Salt Lake Stadium during his G.O.A.T India Tour 2025, in Kolkata on Saturday. (ANI Photo)
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was unable to meet Argentine football icon Lionel Messi at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (Salt Lake Stadium) in Kolkata on Friday after unrest broke out at the venue, forcing the star to leave early.
Messi departed the stadium amid growing fan frustration, with bottles and chairs reportedly thrown inside the venue. Police were deployed to control the situation and restore order. Banerjee, who was en route to the stadium at the time, could not attend the programme due to the escalating chaos.
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Later, Banerjee issued an apology on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), expressing shock over the mismanagement and announcing a high-level inquiry into the incident.
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“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 sincerely apologise to Lionel Messi, as well as to all sports lovers and his fans, for the unfortunate incident. I am constituting an enquiry committee under the chairmanship of Justice (Retd.) Ashim Kumar Ray, with the Chief Secretary and the Additional Chief Secretary, Home and Hill Affairs Department, as members.”
“The committee will conduct a detailed enquiry into the incident, fix responsibility, and recommend measures to prevent such occurrences in the future. Once again, I extend my heartfelt apologies to all sports lovers.”
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
Fans who packed the Salt Lake Stadium expressed anger after failing to get a clear view of Messi, who reportedly remained on the ground for only a brief period. Several supporters raised slogans alleging a “scam” and voiced frustration over politicians and celebrities surrounding the footballer, obstructing the audience’s view.
“Absolutely terrible event. He came for just 10 minutes. All the leaders and ministers surrounded him. We couldn’t see anything. He didn’t take a single kick or penalty. So much money, emotions and time wasted,” one fan told ANI.
Another supporter said, “We are very disappointed… My child was very excited to see Messi… I think it’s a scam for the people. When Messi arrived, everyone surrounded him.”
One angry fan claimed he paid Rs 12,000 for a ticket but did not even get a glimpse of the football icon.
Earlier in the day, Messi had virtually unveiled a 70-foot statue of himself holding the FIFA World Cup trophy, citing security concerns. He also met Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan and his son AbRam at the Hyatt Kolkata hotel.
The incident turned what was billed as a historic football celebration in the “mecca of Indian football” into a scene of chaos, raising serious questions over crowd management and event planning.
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