Lionel Messi will make a historic visit to India this weekend. The Argentine World Cup winner will visit 4 cities in a span of 3 days in what promises to be an action packed affair. The 38-year-old will set foot in Kolkata on December 13, with visits to Hyderabad, Mumbai and New Delhi in order.
It is Messi's first visit to India since playing a friendly in 2011 at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata. Fans now will have chance to watch the historic event online. Sony LIV has joined forces as live streaming partner and will showcase the event live.
To call Messi's visit to India a blockbuster would be undermining it. The Barcelona legend will meet celebrities, politicians, play charity football and even participate in a fashion show. A meeting with Indian prime minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi is also mooted.
What elements of Messi's GOAT Tour will be live streamed remains to be seen. As per District, the event will feature a 7v7 celebrity match. Messi will also lead a masterclass with young scouted talents, and take on thrilling penalty shootouts. A musical concert celebrating him will also follow.
Among the festivities, the world class footballers will also make a fashion statement. Messi, Luis Suarez and Rodrigo De Paul are all expected to feature in a 45-minute fashion segment on the night of December 14. As event promoter Sataru Dutta told PTI, it will be a "philanthropic fashion show for a cause".
Messi's GOAT India tour is his second visit to the country, but his first to Mumbai. Messi last visited India in 2011, when he played a friendly for Argentina against Venezuela in Kolkata. This time around, he will return to Kolkata, with stop overs at Hyderabad, Mumbai and New Delhi. The Mumbai event is scheduled to begin at 5:00 PM IST on December 14, 2025, and is expected to run till 8 PM IST at night.
