Lionel Messi touched down in Delhi for the final leg of his tour of India on Monday. The Argentina legend was greeted by ICC chairman Jay Shah who invited him back to India for the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 next year. Shah presented Messi, Luis Suarez and Rodrigo De Paul with a ticket for the IND vs USA clash at the Wankhede Stadium on February 7.
Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Rodrigo De Paul were also presented with Indian team jerseys with their names and numbers on the back. As expected Messi received the No.10 jersey, with No.9 for Suarez and No.7 for Rodrigo De Paul. Messi was also gifted a framed bat by Jay Shah.
The 38-year-old received a heroes welcome at the Arun Jaitley Stadium with fans chanting Messi Messi throughout his stay. The Barcelona legend even kicked some balls into the crowd much to the delight of the Delhi crowd. The trio also took part in a rondo with young children from the Minerva Football academy.
Messi also spoke to the crowd thanking the support he received on tour.
He said "I want to thank everyone for the love and affection during these days in India - it was a truly beautiful experience for us".
