‘Royal mess’ at Salt Lake Stadium after Messi’s Kolkata appearance cut short

Kolkata, Dec 13: Lionel Messi’s brief visit to Kolkata descended into chaos on Saturday morning as angry fans broke security protocols after failing to catch even a glimpse of the global football icon during his blink-and-miss 22-minute appearance at the Salt Lake Stadium.

What was meant to be a red-letter day for football lovers in the City of Joy quickly turned into a nightmare, with “less of Messi” and more of what many described as a “royal mess”, as disorder erupted inside the packed stadium.

Moments after Messi emerged from the tunnel, the situation spiralled out of control. The programme was cut short amid growing unrest, leaving Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, former India captain Sourav Ganguly and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee—who had arrived for the event—unable to participate.

As tensions mounted, promoter Shatadru Datta, organiser of the ‘GOAT Tour’, along with security personnel, rushed Messi out of the venue. The Salt Lake Stadium soon turned into a scene of chaos, with supporters of the ruling Trinamool Congress breaching security and entering the field of play.

Fans who had paid between Rs 4,500 and Rs 10,000 for tickets vented their anger by hurling bottles and damaging fibreglass seats, forcing police to intervene as they struggled to bring the situation under control.

“Here, a glass of cold drink costs Rs 150–200, yet we couldn’t even catch a glimpse of Messi. People have spent a month’s salary to see him. I paid Rs 5,000 for the ticket and came with my son to watch Messi, not politicians. The police and military personnel were taking selfies, and the management is to blame. There wasn’t even drinking water available,” said an angry fan, Ajay Shah.

Messi arrived at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan around 11.30 am, accompanied by long-time strike partner Luis Suárez and Argentina teammate Rodrigo De Paul. He was the first to take the field, briefly moving around and waving at the crowd.

However, throughout his short walkaround, Messi remained surrounded by VIPs, organisers and security personnel, effectively blocking the spectators’ view from the galleries.

Fans claimed they could not see him properly, either directly or on the stadium’s giant screens, despite waiting since early morning. Frustration soon boiled over, with chants of “We want Messi” echoing across the stands.

Tempers flared further when the Argentine star was escorted out of the stadium within minutes, even before several invited dignitaries had arrived. Disappointed supporters then hurled bottles onto the field and damaged banners, hoardings and plastic chairs in the galleries.

According to eyewitnesses, some spectators attempted to rip open gallery barricades and force their way onto the pitch, with police having a tough time containing the crowd.

The situation did not completely spiral out of control as Messi was taken out earlier than scheduled and additional security was deployed, but the unrest cast a shadow over the high-profile event meant to celebrate one of football's biggest global icons.

PTI