Lionel Messi will arrive in Delhi for the final leg of his GOAT India tour on Monday. The Argentine legend was expected to touch down earlier this morning but his charter flight was held up due to foggy conditions in the national capital. Messi is expected to head to the Arun Jaitley Stadium for a ticketed event, with fans already gathering outside in large numbers.
The 38-year-old reportedly had meetings scheduled with several high profile Indian politicians and officials. A meeting with PM Narendra Modi was mooted but doesn't remain on the agenda as of now. Meetings with the Chief Justice of India and Army General could still take place before the Barcelona legend heads to Arun Jaitley Stadium.
Messi is currently at the Mumbai airport and is expected to leave shortly for the final set of engagements, which includes an appearance at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium for a ticketed event. Gates which were set to open at 11:30 AM, now will open at 1 PM. Messi is expected at the stadium at 4 PM IST.
He is set to felicitate children from the Minerva Academy and hold a 30-minute workshop with them. A celebrity football game is also on the cards followed a by a tribute concert. Messi will be accompanied by Luis Suarez and Rodrigo De Paul as has been the case throughout the tour.
AQI Concerns for Delhi leg?
While Messi's arrival has been met with great fanfare, concerns over the city’s hazardous air quality also remain. As excitement builds around his scheduled appearance at Arun Jaitley Stadium, a sharp critique from a medical professional has ignited a wider debate on public health and governance.
Doctor Aratrika Ganguly took to X (formerly Twitter) to express alarm over the decision to host a large-scale event while Delhi remains under the strictest pollution curbs. In the tweet, she wrote, "Messi visiting Delhi under GRAP-4, with AQI above 600, is a disturbing joke on public health.”
Messi's flight getting due to severe fog also adds to the debate.
