Mismanagement, mayhem mar Messi’s Kolkata appearance; CM orders enquiry

Kolkata’s much-hyped date with Lionel Messi ended in chaos on Saturday as severe crowd mismanagement at the Salt Lake Stadium forced the Argentine football superstar to cut short his appearance, triggering anger, vandalism and a police crackdown inside the venue.

The city’s long-awaited tryst with the iconic footballer unravelled quickly when Messi, in India as part of his GOAT Tour, was forced to cut short his lap of honour at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan after an uncontrollable surge in the crowd. Plastic bottles were thrown, tempers flared, and security officials hurried him off the pitch within minutes, denying thousands of fans the glimpse they had waited hours, and paid heavily for.

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Many spectators, including those who had purchased premium tickets, complained that they never managed to see Messi at all, neither directly nor on the stadium’s giant screens. A heavy security cordon, coupled with politicians and dignitaries occupying prime viewing areas, further restricted visibility and fuelled resentment in the stands.

As frustration spilled over, the situation inside the stadium deteriorated rapidly. Banners were vandalised, seats damaged, and chairs hurled onto the ground, prompting police to resort to a massive lathi charge and deploy the Rapid Action Force (RAF) to restore order. According to angry supporters outside the venue, Messi remained on the field for only a few minutes before being ushered away amid the chaos.

The backlash soon flooded social media, with fans slamming organisers for what they described as “shambolic planning” and “complete mismanagement.”

“We paid thousands just to watch politicians take selfies while Messi disappeared in minutes,” one fan wrote on X.

“This is not crowd trouble—this is organiser failure,” posted another.

Several supporters noted that such incidents were becoming a familiar pattern at marquee events.”

“Every big sporting event follows the same script. When will we finally learn?” read one widely shared post. Ironically, the unrest overshadowed an otherwise celebratory day for Messi’s fans in the city.

Earlier, the football legend had virtually unveiled a towering 70-foot iron statue at the Sree Bhumi Sporting Club in Lake Town, depicting him holding the FIFA World Cup trophy. Completed in just 40 days, the installation drew widespread admiration across Kolkata.

Mamata orders judicial committee

As the chaos unfolded, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who was on her way to the stadium, directed her driver to turn back upon receiving news of the violence. Shortly thereafter, she announced the formation of a judicial committee to probe the mismanagement that led to the disorder.

“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,” the Chief Minister said in a social media statement.

She announced that the probe panel would be headed by Justice (Retd) Ashim Kumar Ray, with state chief secretary Manoj Pant and additional secretary of the home and hill affairs department Nandini Chakraborty as its 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,” the Chief Minister added.

The turmoil at Salt Lake Stadium cast a long shadow over what was meant to be a historic and unifying moment for Indian football fans, once again highlighting the gulf between the passion in the stands and the professionalism behind the scenes.