Mumbai: Argentine football legend Lionel Messi landed here on Sunday afternoon for the third pit stop of his GOAT Tour. He is expected to attend the Padel GOAT Cup event at the Cricket Club of India, Brabourne Stadium, before proceeding to the Wankhede Stadium in the evening.
The legendary player visited Kolkata and Hyderabad on Saturday. After Mumbai, he will next head to New Delhi to conclude the tour and his trip to India.
Messi is scheduled to join the legendary Sachin Tendulkar for an event at the Cricket Club of India on Sunday evening, with the likes of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma also likely to attend. He is then expected to head to the Wankhede Stadium for an exhibition match featuring Bollywood celebrities, scheduled for around 5:00 PM.
The event will then transition to a private fashion show, where Messi will auction his Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup memorabilia. He is also set to participate in the ‘GOAT Football Clinic,’ an initiative by the Maharashtra government, where he will likely provide tips and advice to children. Indian football legend Sunil Chhetri has also confirmed his attendance in Mumbai.
Following the chaos in Kolkata, the Mumbai Police are taking no chances and have carefully organised security measures in the city, with thousands expected to visit the venues.
Messi’s GOAT Tour began on a messy note as the organisers failed to control the crowd at the Salt Lake Stadium. Thousands of fans gathered to see the football icon as he visited the city alongside Luis Suarez and Rodrigo de Paul, but their excitement turned to frustration due to poor management at the venue.
Messi then arrived in the Telangana capital, where he participated in numerous photo opportunities, seen kicking a ball with children and engaging casually with one of the officials.
At the Uppal Stadium, the Argentine star remained inside a VIP box and was seen waving at the camera, making a brief appearance on the big screen inside the stadium and on broadcast visuals as two teams played a match.
(IANS)
