In perhaps the greatest meetup of all time, Sachin Tendulkar and Lionel Messi met during the latter's GOAT India Tour. Tendulkar was greeted to the stage with 'Sachin, Sachin' chants, and shared his No.10 India jersey from the 2011 world Cup win. The Argentine legend in exchanged offered him the FIFA World Cup ball which he won with Argentina.
Fans serenaded the two champion athletes with chants in an electric atmosphere at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday.
Sachin is no stranger to Wankhede, with the iconic stadium being his home ground. Tendulkar won the only World Cup title of his career at the same venue in 2011. His last test match was also at Wankhede in 2013.
Sachin greeted Messi and the two exchanged pleasantries on stage with Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis also present. Tendulkar provided Messi with a signed jersey from his victorious 2011 World Cup campaign.
Messi in exchange handed him the World Cup ball from his own success. Like Sachin, the 38-year-old had to long wait for success at the international arena. Argentina won the World Cup in Qatar in 2022, bringing a match ball from that event for Sachin. He also presented Fadnavis and Sunil Chhetri with his Argentina jerseys.