Lionel Messi's highly anticipated 'GOAT Tour to India 2025' has been expanded to include Hyderabad, ensuring that football fans in the southern region of India will have the opportunity to witness the legendary player in action. This decision follows the cancellation of Argentina's proposed friendly match in Kochi, which was originally scheduled for November 17. The tour will now span across Kolkata, Hyderabad, Mumbai, and New Delhi, making it a pan-Indian event.
The addition of Hyderabad means the tour will now cover all four regions of India: Kolkata (East), Hyderabad (South), Mumbai (West), and New Delhi (North). Satadru Dutta, the sole organizer of the 'GOAT Tour to India 2025', emphasized that Hyderabad was chosen to ensure fans in the South were not deprived of seeing Messi. He stated, "I wanted to make it a pan-India event, and now that the Kerala event is cancelled, South people are getting deprived to see Messi".
The Hyderabad leg of the tour is planned as a major celebration, featuring a celebrity football match, a football clinic, a felicitation ceremony, and a musical program. Dutta mentioned that the Hyderabad event will be an extension of the GOAT Cup, with numerous superstars from the South expected to attend. The event is slated to be held at either the Gachibowli Stadium or the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.
Messi is expected to arrive in India around midnight on December 12 or early December 13, after a brief stop in Dubai. The tour will commence in Kolkata on December 13, followed by Hyderabad the same evening, then Mumbai on December 14, and conclude in New Delhi on December 15, where Messi is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Joining Messi on this tour are confirmed participants Luis Suarez and Rodrigo De Paul. There were also discussions to include Neymar, to reunite the famed 'MSN' trio, but his participation remains unconfirmed.
The Kochi leg, initially planned for November 17, was cancelled due to delays in obtaining the necessary clearances. According to Anto Augustine, the sponsor of the Kerala event, the primary reason for the postponement was the lack of FIFA approval. "The matches in the FIFA window cannot happen without FIFA approval," he stated. Argentine media reports also indicated that the Argentina Football Association (AFA) cited Kerala's "lack of readiness" and delays in completing logistical arrangements within the agreed timeline as reasons for the cancellation.
Tickets for the tour have seen strong demand, with the Mumbai leg at Wankhede Stadium already sold out and Kolkata and Delhi nearing full capacity. Dutta expressed enthusiasm for the Hyderabad event, saying, "The energy in Hyderabad is special, and with all the southern stars coming together, it will be one of the most memorable legs of the tour".
Messi's previous visit to India was in 2011 when Argentina played against Venezuela in Kolkata. This 'GOAT Tour to India 2025' marks his return to the country after 14 years.
