Lionel Messi is reportedly planning to visit India in December 2025, with Kolkata set to be the first stop on a whirlwind tour that will also include Ahmedabad, Mumbai, and Delhi.
The Argentine football legend's visit to Kolkata will be his first in a decade. He is expected to spend the longest portion of his tour, two days and one night, in the "City of Joy". The itinerary includes a meet-and-greet event and the unveiling of a 70-foot statue in his honor at Lake Town Sribhumi on VIP Road, which is being touted as the tallest Messi statue in the world. Messi is also scheduled to visit the historic Eden Gardens stadium for the GOAT Concert and the GOAT Cup. The GOAT Cup will be a seven-a-side soft-touch football match featuring prominent Indian sports and entertainment personalities such as Sourav Ganguly, Leander Paes, John Abraham, and Bhaichung Bhutia.
Following his engagements in Kolkata, Messi will travel to Ahmedabad on December 13 to attend a private event organized by the Adani Foundation at their Shantigram headquarters. The next day, December 14, he will arrive in Mumbai for another meet-and-greet session at the Cricket Club of India (CCI) at 3:45 PM, followed by the GOAT Concert and GOAT Cup at Wankhede Stadium at 5:30 PM. Several prominent Indian cricketers, including MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, and Sachin Tendulkar, are expected to attend the Mumbai event, along with Indian football captain Sunil Chhetri and members of the national team.
The final stop on Messi's India tour will be New Delhi on December 15, where he is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Delhi leg of the tour will also feature a GOAT Concert and GOAT Cup at the Feroz Shah Kotla stadium.
The potential visit has already sparked excitement among football fans across India. If all goes according to plan, Kolkata will have the first glimpse of Lionel Messi in ten years. The arrangements have been finalized, including the booking of Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Official confirmation of the tour is still awaited.