Lionel Messi Visits Vantara, Anant Ambani Welcomes Football Legend With Nature-Based Rituals

Last Updated:December 16, 2025, 22:01 IST

Lionel Messi visited Vantara with Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, joined Hindu rituals, toured wildlife facilities, and had a lion cub named in his honour

Argentina's World Cup-winning captain Lionel Messi (second from left) with teammate Rodrigo De Paul (extreme left), Vantara founder Anant Ambani (third from left), and another teammate Luis Suarez (extreme right). (Image: News18)

Global football icon Lionel Messi embarked on a special visit to Vantara, a comprehensive wildlife rescue, rehabilitation, and conservation centre founded by Anant Ambani. The centre’s initiatives traditionally begin with seeking blessings in accordance with Sanatana Dharma, which emphasizes reverence for nature and respect for all living beings. Messi’s visit reflected this profound cultural ethos, highlighted by his participation in traditional Hindu rituals. Messi was accompanied by his Inter Miami teammates, Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul.

The football legend was welcomed in grand traditional style, which included vibrant folk music, a showering of flowers symbolizing blessings, and a ceremonial aarti. Messi participated in a Maha Aarti at the temple, including Ambe Mata Puja, Ganesh Puja, Hanuman Puja, and Shiv Abhishek, offering prayers for world peace and unity. His engagements during the visit highlighted the warm bond and friendship he shares with Anant Ambani, rooted in a shared commitment to wildlife conservation.

Following the sacred ceremonies, Messi embarked on a guided tour of Vantara’s expansive conservation ecosystem. He interacted with big cats, including lions, leopards, and tigers, observing them thriving in enriched, naturalistic environments. He also toured the multi-speciality wildlife hospital and later fed various animals, including okapis, rhinos, giraffes, and elephants. The specialized veterinary care, customized nutrition, and husbandry protocols reflect Vantara’s global leadership in wildlife welfare.

The most meaningful moment of the tour came at the Foster Care Centre, dedicated to orphaned and vulnerable young animals. In a heartfelt and significant gesture, Anant Ambani and Radhika Ambani together named a lion cub “Lionel," in honor of the football legend. This name now represents hope and continuity within Vantara’s conservation efforts. Furthermore, at the Elephant Care Centre, Messi engaged in an impromptu football enrichment activity with Maniklal, a rescued elephant calf, demonstrating the universal language of play.

As his visit concluded with traditional rituals such as Nariyal Utsarg and Matka Phod, Messi praised the centre’s mission. Expressing a deep sense of alignment with Vantara’s purpose, which mirrors his own foundation dedicated to social causes, Messi responded in Spanish: “What Vantara does is truly beautiful, the work for animals, the care they receive, the way they are rescued and looked after. It is genuinely impressive. We had a wonderful time, felt completely at ease throughout, and it is an experience that stays with you. We will surely visit again to continue inspiring and supporting this meaningful work."

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