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Lionel Messi, one of the greatest footballers of all time, is finally coming back to India. The global icon will embark on a four-city tour starting December 12, 2025, with Kolkata as his first stop. The visit is being made possible thanks to sports promoter Satadru Dutta, who has previously brought legends like Pele, Diego Maradona, Ronaldinho and Argentina’s World Cup-winning goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez to India.
The idea of bringing Messi took shape after the hugely successful exhibition visits by Ronaldinho and Martinez to Kolkata. Both events drew massive crowds and gave Dutta the push to pursue Messi. He revealed that he had even asked Ronaldinho and Martinez to share good feedback about India with Messi and his team. “I told them I’m trying to bring Messi here, and your word matters. Luckily, they gave glowing reviews,” Dutta said.
The real breakthrough came when Dutta met Lionel Messi’s father and agent, Jorge Messi, in Miami in July 2024. While Jorge said a 2024 trip wouldn’t be possible because of Messi’s packed schedule, he welcomed the idea of a future tour. That conversation eventually set the stage for Messi’s long-awaited return to India.
Lionel Messi already shares a special connection with Kolkata. Back in 2011, he played his first match as captain of Argentina at the city’s Salt Lake Stadium in a friendly against Venezuela. That memory came alive again when Dutta met Messi in February 2025 and showed him clips of that game, along with photos of a 75-foot statue of Messi lifting the World Cup during Kolkata’s Durga Puja celebrations in 2023. Ronaldinho had inaugurated the statue, and Messi was said to be moved by the tribute.
Lionel Messi’s four-city tour schedule
Messi’s 2025 trip has been carefully designed to be financially viable, with events spread across multiple cities backed by sponsors.
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December 12 – Kolkata: Messi will land in Kolkata for the unveiling of a new statue in his honour. The day will also feature the “GOAT Concert” and the “GOAT Cup,” a seven-a-side exhibition match expected to include Sourav Ganguly, Leander Paes, Bhaichung Bhutia, and John Abraham alongside Messi. Ticket prices are expected to start at ₹3,500, and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is likely to felicitate him.
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December 13 – Ahmedabad: Messi will attend a private event with sponsors and partners.
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December 14 – Mumbai: Another round of brand interactions and engagements is planned in the city.
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December 15 – New Delhi: The tour will wrap up at the Arun Jaitley Stadium with another GOAT Concert. Organisers are also hoping to arrange a meeting between Messi and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Dutta explained that spreading the events across four major cities was the only way to make the tour financially sustainable, saying that a single-city event “would not be viable.”
For Indian football fans, this moment has been years in the making. Messi’s last appearance in the country was 14 years ago, and his return is expected to be historic. With concerts, exhibition matches, and star-studded events lined up, December promises to be unforgettable as India welcomes the man many call the greatest of all time.