Lionel Messi’s brief appearance at Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata turned chaotic on Saturday as disappointed fans threw objects onto the field, ripped up seats and invaded the pitch after the football icon was visible for only about 20 minutes.
According to Indian media and ANI footage, fans hurled debris onto the track and field, protesting poor arrangements despite paying tickets costing up to ₹12,000. Many complained that Messi was surrounded by a heavy entourage and barely seen.
Messi is in India on a multi-city tour that includes concerts, youth football clinics, a padel tournament and charitable initiatives across Kolkata, Hyderabad, Mumbai and New Delhi. The organisers did not immediately comment on the incident.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee apologised to Messi and fans, calling the incident “deeply disturbing,” and ordered an enquiry to fix responsibility and prevent such incidents in the future.
