Lionel Messi playing ball with kids during a clinic at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on Monday.
| Photo Credit: SUSHIL KUMAR VERMA
ICC president Jay Shah presenting a ticket for the India-USA T20 World Cup match to be held next year as Luis Suarez, Rodrigo de Paul and Delhi CM Rekha Gupta look on.
| Photo Credit:
SUSHIL KUMAR VERMA
Jay Shah presenting Messi with an autographed bat.
| Photo Credit:
SUSHIL KUMAR VERMA
Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Rodrigo de Paul seen with Jay Shah after receiving customised cricket jerseys.
| Photo Credit:
SUSHIL KUMAR VERMA
What began in the most shambolic way in a football-crazy city ended the best way it could, in the most unexpected of venues, as Lionel Messi wrapped up his three-day GOAT India Tour at the Arun Jaitley Stadium here on Monday with kids and fans and barely any celebrity presence.
For a city that thrives on power and visibility, Messi’s final stop on the tour was big on smiles and short on display of VIP culture as the Argentine, accompanied by compatriots and Inter Miami teammates Luis Suarez and Rodrigo de Paul, spent around 40 minutes walking around the ground, meeting trainees from a football academy and kicking the ball with kids on two mini fields created in the cricket ground with a massive poster in the middle.
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta entered only at the end, accompanied by ICC president Jay Shah, who handed over a ticket of the India versus USA T20 World Cup match to Messi, a signed bat and India team jerseys with their names and national team numbers to all three. The duo was joined by Bhaichung Bhutia and his family and left unobtrusively, ensuring the spotlight remained on the players. Former India star Aditi Chauhan was also present, getting her jersey signed from the three international stars
The footballers were expected to leave Mumbai at 9.15 am but were delayed by adverse weather conditions, reaching Delhi only around 2.15 p.m.. The 22,000 strong crowd had no complaints — people had been lining up since 9 a.m. and were willing to wait, dressed in jerseys belonging to Messi’s clubs, both FC Barcelona and Miami, and cheering his name.
The trio reached the stadium at 4.30 p.m. after an exclusive paid meet-and-greet at a five-star hotel, by which time a 30-minute exhibition match between Celebrity All Stars and Minerva All Stars was won by the latter 6-0. They got clicked with both teams, the academy kids beaming at meeting their idols, walked around the ground kicking footballs into the stands and acknowledging the fans with only the security cordon and broadcasters around.
They then proceeded for a short clinic with two groups of 15 kids each on either field before handing over the trophy to the winners of the exhibition match. “…we carry all this love with us, and we will definitely return, hopefully one day to play a match or on another occasion,” Messi said in a short speech in Spanish before wrapping up.
Published – December 15, 2025 06:52 pm IST
