Lionel Messi Coming to India! Mumbai, Kolkata, Delhi Set for Unmissable Events: Report

Last Updated:August 01, 2025, 13:20 IST

Football legend Lionel Messi will visit Mumbai, Kolkata, and Delhi in December, with Wankhede Stadium hosting a historic event as part of his exclusive India tour.

Lionel Messi could be coming to India. [AI Generated Image]

Lionel Messi, the Argentine football icon, is set to make a highly anticipated appearance at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium on December 14—an event the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) confirmed after granting permission to organisers Wizcraft earlier this week, according to the Times of India.

This Mumbai stop is reportedly part of a whirlwind, three-city Indian tour from December 13 to 15, marking Messi’s first visit to India in over a decade.

As per the report, Messi’s tour could start from Kolkata, where he’ll be felicitated at the Eden Gardens and the day will feature a ceremonial “GOAT Cup"—a seven-a-side football match—plus a workshop and a football clinic for local youth designed to foster India’s grassroots football culture. After Mumbai’s celebration, Messi will wrap up his trip with an event in Delhi.

This landmark tour comes while Messi, 38, continues his illustrious club career at Inter Miami in Major League Soccer—a journey that has seen him capture eight Ballon d’Ors, six European Golden Shoes, and an unrivaled 45 team trophies. His staggering records, including the most goals for a single club (672), most goals in La Liga (474), and most World Cup goal contributions (21). Messi’s captaincy culminated in Argentina’s third World Cup triumph in 2022, ending a 36-year wait for his nation.

Messi last set foot on Indian soil in September 2011, when a youthful Argentina defeated Venezuela in a friendly in Kolkata’s Salt Lake Stadium.

Messi’s presence coincides with longstanding reports of the Argentina national team potentially playing a friendly in Kerala’s Greenfield Stadium in October or November 2025. While official confirmation is still pending—due in part to funding and scheduling complexities—Kerala’s government and fans remain hopeful the world champions will make an appearance. However, recent Argentine FA scheduling hints some uncertainty, even as local officials insist negotiations are ongoing, and the agreement remains possible if financial and logistical criteria are met.

Sports Desk

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August 01, 2025, 13:20 IST

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