Argentina superstar Lionel Messi arrived in Kolkata on Saturday, greeted by huge, jubilant crowds at the airport and along city streets. Indian news agency ANI said the turnout was so large that authorities escorted Messi out of the airport via an alternate route to manage the crowds.
The visit is part of Messi’s GOAT (greatest of all time) Tour, a whirlwind trip that will take him to four Indian cities — Kolkata, Hyderabad, Mumbai and New Delhi — in under 72 hours. Messi first visited Kolkata in 2011.
Kolkata has marked his return with a 70-foot-tall statue, due to be inaugurated Saturday; Messi is scheduled to participate in the unveiling ceremony. He will then travel to Hyderabad and Mumbai before concluding the tour in New Delhi on Monday, where he is expected to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Fresh off winning Major League Soccer’s Most Valuable Player award for a second straight season and leading Inter Miami to the MLS Cup, the 2022 World Cup winner is traveling with Inter Miami teammates Luis Suárez and Rodrigo de Paul.
Edited by Roshni Majumdar