Messi magic lights up Hyderabad, fans mesmerised
Hyderabad: It was a memorable Saturday night for football fans in Hyderabad as Argentine legend Lionel Messi dazzled the city during his visit as part of the G.O.A.T. Tour of India.
The City of Nizams showed how to pull off an event of this magnitude after Messi’s visit to the City of Joy descended into chaos due to poor crowd management and security lapses earlier on Saturday.
The legend arrived in the city around 5:40 pm and was received at the Taj Falaknuma Palace by Telangana chief minister Revanth Reddy.
Sporting a green colour crew neck half sleeve T-shirt, a black pant and a pair of sport shoes, the World Cup-winning Argentine captain entered the stadium amid tight security, to a deafening cheer of the crowd.
He seemed relaxed all through his one-hour stay at the stadium, the global superstar played football and even kicked a few balls into the stands, much to the delight of the crowd.
CM Revanth was present at the event and took part in the exhibition match, later sharing a few passes with Messi. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was also among the dignitaries at the venue and was seen interacting with and posing for photographs with the football legend.
The Ballon d’Or eight-time winner showed his immaculate control of the ball to the great delight of the crowd, juggling the ball with his feet as he kicked around the ball with his Suarez and de Paul, as well as Reddy.
“Thank you very much for all your love. It’s an honour for us to spend these days in India with you. I’m truly grateful,” Messi thanked Hyderabad’s fans for their affection in Spanish.
Messi was accompanied by his Inter Miami teammates Rodrigo de Paul and Luis Suárez, who also shared their appreciation for the fans.
“I’m very happy. This has been a very special night. Thank you for all your love and affection,” said de Paul.
Luis Suárez added, “Good evening everyone. Thank you for the love. A big hug.”
Messi presented the G.O.A.T. Cup to the winning team of a 7-a-side exhibition match, Singareni RR 9, which was representing Reddy.
The CM presented a memento to Messi while Gandhi gave one to Suarez.
The evening turned into a celebration for Hyderabad’s football lovers, who got a once in a lifetime chance to witness one of the greatest players of all time up close.
Messi will reach Mumbai on Sunday for his third leg of the G.O.A.T. Tour 2025. He will wind up his visit on Monday in New Delhi where he will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Next stop, Mumbai
The Mumbai police are in full swing and taking extra care to avoid any stampede-like situation and to prevent the recurrence of the chaotic situation that unfolded in Kolkata.
Messi is expected to be present at the Cricket Club of India (Brabourne Stadium) in Mumbai on Sunday for a Padel G.O.A.T. Cup event followed by attending a celebrity football match.
He is expected to proceed to the Wankhede Stadium for the G.O.A.T. India Tour main event around 5 pm.
Expecting heavy crowd near the stadiums during Messi’s visit, the city police force has deployed more than 2,000 of its personnel near and around both the venues.
The police are also asking the organisers to provide all the required facilities to the fans inside the stadium, so that there will be no chaos. Spectators have purchased tickets in the range of Rs 5,000 to 25,000.
The police are expecting 33,000 spectators at the Wankhede Stadium and over 4,000 at Brabourne Stadium. Besides this, more than 30,000 people are expected outside and around the stadiums just to have a glimpse of the football sensation.
(With PTI inputs)
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