New Delhi: Lionel Messi is likely to have a busy and heavily structured itinerary when his GOAT Tour comes to New Delhi on Monday, which is the fourth and final leg of his visit to India after stops in Kolkata, Hyderabad and Mumbai.
Messi’s itinerary in the Indian capital consists of an exhibition game, a stage event, a football clinic for children and several high-profile private meetings; therefore, Delhi has taken precautionary measures for large crowds and traffic jams to prepare for Messi’s arrival.
All events will take place at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. All gates open at 11:30 AM, and media personnel must enter through Gate No. 6. All attendees must be seated before the commencement of the programme at 2:30 PM. The programme will kick off at 2:30 PM with welcome music and will continue with a celebrity football match at 2:50 PM. Messi is expected to participate in the celebrity match at 3:30 PM and a football clinic for 30 children at 3:45 PM.
A stage ceremony is scheduled for 4.20 pm, which will also feature the GOAT Cup exhibition match. Attending this event includes Virat Kohli.
Later in the day, Messi is expected to attend a private meet-and-greet at around 4.30 pm. According to the tentative agenda, the first meeting will include Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the second interaction is expected with the Chief of Defence Staff and the Chief Justice of India, underscoring the high-profile nature of the visit.
In light of the event, the Delhi Traffic Police has implemented traffic restrictions throughout Central Delhi on Monday from 12:00 AM – 5:00 PM, and parking around Arun Jaitley Stadium is prohibited (with towing/penalties enforced). Authorities advise using public transportation (Metro/buses) to avoid traffic congestion.
(IANS)
