New Delhi: History was witnessed at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Monday as Argentina football legend Lionel Messi made his much-awaited visit, drawing massive crowds and admiration from fans in Delhi. Thousands gathered to see the global icon, and the event passed off smoothly, earning widespread praise for the Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA) and Delhi Police.
Fans were delighted with the seamless arrangements and unobstructed views, with no VIP or political hijacking of the occasion. “This was truly for fans. Everything was well managed and peaceful,” said a college student. Another supporter added, “Hats off to DDCA and Delhi Police for such disciplined crowd control.”
At the fag end of the event, DDCA president Rohan Jaitley, ICC chairman Jay Shah, and Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta met Messi. Jay Shah presented Messi with tickets for the India vs USA Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, while the football legend, along with Rodrigo de Paul and Luis Suarez, was gifted a framed cricket bat and a Team India jersey.
Former India goalkeeper Aditi Chauhan also presented signed t-shirts to the trio, bringing a memorable close to the GOAT India Tour.
It was apparent that the local governments and police in Hyderabad, Mumbai, and Delhi took more control of security and other arrangements for Messi’s India GOAT Tour after his visit to Kolkata ended in riots in the stadium. On Saturday, there were reports that one of the main organisers of the GOAT Tour was arrested by Kolkata police for alleged mismanagement at the event in Salt Lake Stadium.
Messi’s visit to Kolkata ended in chaos after agitated spectators, angered over limited access to the Argentine despite purchasing tickets at what they described as exorbitant prices, went on a rampage inside the stadium.
With the situation spiralling out of control, police were forced to resort to a large-scale lathi charge and deploy personnel from the Rapid Action Force (RAF) to restore order. In the wake of the unrest, Messi left the stadium earlier than scheduled.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was on her way to the stadium at the time of the incident. However, after being informed about the ruckus and vandalism, she instructed her driver to turn back. Shortly thereafter, the Chief Minister announced the constitution of a judicial committee to probe the mismanagement that led to the chaos.
(IANS)
