GOAT Tour Grows: Lionel Messi To Visit Hyderabad As Part Of Mega Four-City Spectacle

Last Updated:November 01, 2025, 18:35 IST

Lionel Messi GOAT Tour India 2025 adds Hyderabad, joining Kolkata, Mumbai, and New Delhi. Events include matches, music, and celebrity appearances.

Lionel Messi (Image: leomessi/Instagram)

The Lionel Messi GOAT Tour to India 2025 just got bigger, with Hyderabad officially added as the new southern stop.

The move ensures fans in South India won’t be “deprived" of seeing their idol after Argentina’s proposed friendly in Kerala was cancelled.

The decision follows the scrapping of a November 17 match in Kochi, initially announced by Kerala Sports Minister V. Abdurahiman. With Hyderabad stepping in, Messi’s long-awaited tour will now cover all four corners of India — Kolkata (east), Hyderabad (south), Mumbai (west) and New Delhi (north) — making it one of the biggest sporting spectacles ever hosted in the country.

“Now we are covering south also. This will be a tribute to millions of football fans in South India," said Satadru Dutta, the tour’s sole organiser. “There’s a huge Messi fan base in Chennai, Kerala, and Hyderabad. I wanted it to be a pan-India event."

According to Dutta, Hyderabad was the “natural choice" to replace Ahmedabad in the itinerary.

The event will be held at either the Gachibowli or Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, featuring not just football but a full-fledged celebration — a celebrity match, a football clinic, music performances, and appearances from top South Indian stars.

“South should also get exposure to Messi," Dutta said. “The energy in Hyderabad is special. This leg will be massive."

Messi is expected to land around midnight on December 12 from Miami via Dubai, where he’ll rest before flying to Kolkata. Joining him will be Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, both confirmed for the tour.

Revised Itinerary

Dec 12–13 (Kolkata): Meet and greet; GOAT Cup at Salt Lake Stadium; statue unveiling; departs for Hyderabad.

Dec 13 (Hyderabad): Meet and greet (5pm); GOAT Cup (7–8:45pm).

Dec 14 (Mumbai): Meet and greet; Padel GOAT Cup launch; GOAT Cup at Wankhede Stadium.

Dec 15 (New Delhi): Meeting with PM Narendra Modi; GOAT Cup at Arun Jaitley Stadium.

(with PTI inputs)

Siddarth Sriram

After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas. His long-term...Read More

After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas. His long-term...

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