नवीनतम
Messi thanks India for hospitality
NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: Lionel Messi expressed optimism about football in India and thanked the country for the generous hospitality he received during his three-day visit. During his visit to four cities as part of the GOAT Tour of India 2025, which saw thousands of fans buying tickets to catch a glimpse of the Argentine footballer.
The 38-year-old departed for Miami, where he plays his club football currently for Inter Miami. He extended his stay in the country for a day to visit the Vantara Wildlife rescue, rehabilitation and conservation centre in Jamnagar, founded by Anant Ambani.
Sharing the glimpses of his tour, Messi shared a 1-minute video from the tour, which included interactions with Sachin Tendulkar, Bollywood actor Kareena Kapoor Khan and several young footballers.
“What amazing visits to Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Kolkata. Thank you for the warm reception, generous hospitality, and all the feelings of love with which you surrounded me throughout my tour,” Messi wrote in the captions. “I hope that football has a bright future in India.”
His message comes at a crucial moment in Indian football, as uncertainty is hovering around the future of the Indian Super League (ISL) with the All India Football Federation (AIFF) not finding any commercial partner.
Messi’s visit in India went smoothly except for his visit to Kolkata, where things went sour. Politicians and officials surrounded Messi at the Salt Lake Stadium and denied the audience a glimpse of the footballing superstar by blocking their view. The spectators had paid thousands of rupees for tickets, and they expressed their displeasure at the venue, resorting to violence. The remaining legs of the tour in Hyderabad, Mumbai, and New Delhi went ahead smoothly as Messi was seen interacting with young players and performing some warm-up drills.
