Messi’s Kolkata tour chaos: Bengal cops detains organiser; tickets to be refunded
The ‘GOAT India Tour’
Since
In December 2025, Messi launched his much- publicized GOAT India Tour 2025, whereby he would be touring India through multiple cities such as Kolkata, Hyderabad, Mumbai, and New Delhi. This event was organized in such a manner that it would showcase Messi meeting his fans, staging shows, conducting football events for the young ones, engaging with charity, concerts, and promotions.
Wikipedia
Kolkata, with its rich football culture and vast support base for the sport, was selected as the starting point of this tournament. Tickets were priced differently, ranging from moderate to several thousand rupees, with VIP tickets priced significantly higher.
Reuters
- What Was Scheduled in Kolkata?
Messi had an event appearance at the Salt Lake Stadium (Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan) in Kolkata on the 13th of December, 2025:
A reception ceremony for Messi with guests.
Messi moving around the playing ground to greet fans.
Public appearances, media opportunities, and possible football displays.
Engagements with other personalities in the football world.
A significant presence on the field that is also intended to last for more than 30 minutes.
Wikipedia
However, what happened next was completely unexpected.
- Event Day – Early Scenes
Thousands of fans assembled in the Salt Lake Stadium on the day of the event, with many of them having purchased event tickets, some of them even traveling long distances. One of major draws for this event in Kolkata was the passion for soccer, adding to which is Messi’s international fame as one of the all-time greats.
Reuters
Messi’s entry into the team was welcomed by a public ceremony of installing a 70-foot statue of himself in another part of town, which drew a lot of media coverage as well.
Sky News
In the stadium, Messi appeared, though—walking about in the ground and greeting fans. However, things took a complicated turn.
- The Critical Turning Point — What Went Wrong
Condensed Belief Portrait
There is
Messi’s stay at the ground got drastically shortened, apparently to 20 minutes only, unlike the initial plan of a prolonged stay. This happened due to security issues. Even then, since Messi remained surrounded by various officials, politicians, and security personnel throughout his stay, very few people could get a clear look at him.
Reuters
This was the initial major flash point: Those who paid for a live broadcast were left disappointed in mere minutes of the event actually getting underway.
- Outbreak of Chaos
“The disparity between expectations and reality led to unrest:”
There was a rapid shift from expecting to
Fan Complaints and Demonstration
Though frustrated with Messi playing very little and not getting value for their money from their attendance fees, the fans took their disgruntlement in the following ways:
Throwing water bottles and chairs.
tearing apart stadium seats in anger.
Invading the playing ground and forcing one’s way through barriers.
Destroying banners and other property.
Reuters
Such actions resulted in a hopeful event becoming a chaotic situation in the stadium.
Security Struggles
Officials were soon faced with trying to regain order. Bottles, chairs, and other things were being thrown; areas of spectators were moving in on restricted zones. When it became evident that the situation was getting out of hand, security forces were brought in to try to contain the crowd’s temper. Some instances of violent behavior were witnessed.
Reuters
It got worse, with Messi eventually having to be escorted out of the stadium for his own safety, further cutting the event short. This is what caused more confusion among the fans.
AP News
- Immediate Aftermath: On & Off the Field
Aftyer Messi left:
Fan Reactions
Frustrated fans also staged their protest outside the stadium. There were reports of fans gathering:
Mobbed nearby hotels, thinking Messi could be there.
Blocked roads, causing traffic inconveniences around the event ground.
Expressed angry slogans against the organizers of the event as well as some political leaders who were involved in the event.
The Times of India
This derailed what would otherwise be a celebration into a public demonstration or unrest that would spill into other areas and also interfere with traffic security activities.
- organisers detained, police actions
Who Was Held?
The key organizer of the Kolkata event of Messi’s India Tour, named to be Satadru Dutta, was detained by the police for his role in the disarray and disorganisation witnessed at the Salt Lake Stadium. This is attributed to poor preparation, inability to tackle crowd management, or lack of measures to ensure that ticket holders were able to view the event.
Reuters
The police were also apparently filing an FIR for possible offenses such as Disorderly Conduct, Vandalism of Public Property, and Negligence of Public Order, among other charges that could be more detailed with further investigations.
Telegraph India
Cop Speeches & Commitments
“The state’s security situation is improving gradually,” claimed West Bengal’s Director General of Police, Rajiv Kumar. He announced that
The person organising would be accountable.
Supporters will be refunded for their ticket purchase.
The responsible parties will be taken to court by the authorities.
Hindustan Times
- Government Reaction – Apology and Probe
It is no
Chief Minister’s Response
Since
A statement issued by Mamata Banerjee showed that she was “deeply disturbed and shocked by the lack of management” that she witnessed: “ “It is unfortunate
A public apology is in order to Messi as well as his fans.
Procedures for conducting a high-level investigation into matters that went wrong.
Formation of an investigation committee consisting of a retired judge.
The Times of India
A committee is formed with the responsibility of scrutinizing the decisions made by the organization, crowd control, as well as security measures, with a mandate to make recommendations on what should be done to ensure that such incidences do not occur in the
Political Blame Game
It
News media also brought to light the developing political analysis that occurred in the aftermath of the turmoil. Some of the opposition political parties took advantage of the situation to discuss the administrative capability with regard to such a major event organized by the state government. This is in regard to the lack of organization.
www.nd
- Fan Refunds – What It Means
Refunds for tickets that were sold for the event have also been promised by the authorities. Though the specifics of these are still being formalized, it is clear from police reports that:
Persons who purchased the tickets would receive their refund.
Refunds are being “legally enforced,” not just “voluntary gestures.”
Written guarantees or legal documents are being called for by the organizer.
Hindustan Times
A refund is viewed by many fans, including those who paid a lot of money, equivalent to weeks of savings, as the only remedy for what could be a disappointing experience.
- Wider Imp
Effect on Messi’s Tour
Messi
Despite the turmoil that was witnessed in Kolkata, Messi’s tour remained uninterrupted: )
According to reports, the next big gathering in Hyderabad went ahead with organized events.
Messi took part in exhibition games that invoked passion, but this happened with more stringent crowd regulations. Messi’s activities involved taking part in some games, for example, the one
Hindustan Times
Nevertheless, the Kolkata incident dominated discussions about the beginning of the tour, pushing other places of celebration into the background.
Event Organisation & Crowd Safety
Event Organisation is the
The Kolkata mess has brought into focus the following important points that need to be kept in mind during the organization of mass events with global personalities:
Large-scale crowd management demands a much higher degree of coordination between the private organizers and the authorities.
It is imperative that there is clear communication of what one can expect as a fan, especially where high-priced tickets are concerned.
“The security measures should ensure VIP security, as well as adequate accessibility for fans. If security is prioritized without consideration for accessibility, it could marginalize other spectators who
One would expect official inquiries to investigate these issues rigorously. 11. Why Fans Were So Disappointed EXPECTATION vs. Reality A number of things contributed to the fire that fueled the frustration of the A major appearance was what the fans were expecting; Messi would be among them. Instead, the ceremony was brief, severely limited, and out of reach for much of the stadium seating area. Despite the high cost of the ticket, fans were of the opinion that they could not get a clear view of Messi, which was one of the major objectives of their attendance. Reuters These factors brought about feelings of betrayal that were quickly converted into chaos by emotional responses. 12. Looking Ahead – Lessons and Changes “The incident that happened with the Tamil Nadu team has made us realize that it is not enough to provide training sessions for players on gender sensitization. Guidelines related to celebrity event organization could also be enhanced. Future events of the same touring series are expected to improve crowd segregation as well as crowd access arrangements. The governments as well as the law enforcement authorities are likely to insist on stricter contracts for private promoters. Messi’s tour, though still continuing, is now remembered with the onset of a tumultuous beginning that could influence his subsequent visits to other nations like India. 13. Summary In conclusion, the reason for the Kolkata chaos witnessed in Messi’s visit was: A public event where there was a disparity between expectation and delivery. Messi’s small and limited presence that denied spectators the opportunity to witness what was expected of him. Frustration and anger among ticket-holders that turned into vandalism and public unrest. Being detained by the organizer of the event, who is now liable for the aftermath. Guarantees and promises of refund of ticket costs for disappointed fans. Apologies by the government, as well as investigations to ensure that such an incident never recurs A moment of history that was supposed to be for a lifetime for football enthusiasts eventually turned into a spectacle of unrest, which stands as a timely reminder of the importance of planning when it comes to managing global phenomena.
