Bollywood icon Shah Rukh Khan will be in attendance during Lionel Messi's visit to Kolkata on December 13. The Argentine legend kicks off the GOAT India tour this weekend with the West Bengal capital, before travelling to Hyderabad, Mumbai and New Delhi. SRK, who owns Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL, confirmed the development in a post on X on Thursday.
"This time round not planning my Knight in Kolkata…. and hoping the day Ride is completely ‘Messi’. See you guys on the 13th at the Salt Lake Stadium," SRK posted on X.
It will mark Messi's second visit to Kolkata and his first after 14 years. The 38-year-old has a jam-packed schedule that promises an action-packed day. It begins with a meet-and-greet event and a cultural celebration honouring Messi’s visit, followed by the statue inauguration.
Soon after, the legendary footballer is will head to the famed Salt Lake Stadium. Messi's last India visit to Kolkata was when Argentina played a friendly against Venezuela at the same venue.
At the heart of the celebrations is a monumental tribute: a 70-foot statue of Messi, reportedly the largest of its kind, erected in his honour. The statue stands adjacent to the clock tower in Sribhumi (Lake Town). The ambitious build, 50-foot in statue height, rising to 70-foot with the plinth included, has drawn attention and awe. Messi himself is slated to inaugurate the statue, though reportedly virtually due to security considerations.
