G.O.A.T India Tour: Messi lights up Delhi; Vantara next stop

Lionel Messi arrived in the national capital on Monday as part of the G.O.A.T India Tour, with his flight from Mumbai landing in Delhi around 2:30 PM after weather-related delays earlier in the day. He proceeded straight to The Leela Palace, Chanakyapuri, where he attended a closed-door meet-and-greet with a select group of invitees.

Concluding a action-packed appearance at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, the Argentina footballer is expected to travel to Vantara, a wildlife rescue and conservation centre, where he will meet Anant Ambani for a one-night stopover. Messi was earlier scheduled to attend an Adidas event at Purana Qila and meet select VIPs in Delhi, but it did not take place due to time constraints caused by the delayed arrival.

Advertisement

The crowd had gathered hours in advance, with chants of “Messi, Messi” echoing across the stadium as anticipation built. The celebrity exhibition match, scheduled as part of the event, began before Messi’s arrival due to the delay.

The Minerva Academy All-Stars got off to a strong start in the exhibition game, winning an early corner and capitalising on a defensive error to score a simple tap-in goal.

Messi entered the stadium alongside Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul around 5 PM, instantly lifting the atmosphere. The Argentine superstar kicked footballs into the crowd, some reaching the upper tiers. He played briefly with children on the pitch, and signed jerseys for young fans.

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta attended the event along with Jay Shah, who presented Messi with the No. 10 Indian cricket team jersey. Suárez received a No. 9 jersey, while De Paul was handed No. 7. Former India football captain Baichung Bhutia also met Messi, Suárez and De Paul at the stadium.

Messi addressed the crowd in Spanish, drawing loud cheers from the packed stands. Despite the late start, the event remained largely well-managed, with security and crowd control in place. While Messi was briefly surrounded on the ground, he was later able to move freely, greet fans and interact with players.