Messi’s India Tour Cost ₹100 Crore, Chaos Ensues

The total expenditure for Lionel Messi’s India tour reached ₹100 crore, with the football superstar reportedly receiving ₹89 crore for his visit, while ₹11 crore went to the Indian government as taxes. Around 30% of the tour’s funding came from sponsors, and another 30% was generated through ticket sales.

The Kolkata leg of Messi’s GOAT India tour on December 13 descended into chaos, with thousands of spectators crowding around the player on the field, leaving him barely visible from the galleries. Frustrated fans later vandalised parts of the stadium, highlighting significant lapses in crowd management and security.

The main organiser of the event, who was arrested after the incident, disclosed during questioning that only 150 ground passes were initially planned. However, the number reportedly tripled when a highly influential person arrived at the stadium, disrupting the flow of the programme and overwhelming security arrangements. Investigators are examining whether this expanded access directly contributed to the breakdown in crowd control.

The organiser also revealed that Messi had expressed discomfort with being touched on the back or hugged, instructions that were reportedly communicated in advance to security personnel. Despite repeated public announcements urging the crowd to maintain distance, the footballer was repeatedly surrounded and embraced, aggravating the situation.

Visuals from the event showed West Bengal’s sports minister in close proximity to Messi, holding him around the waist during photographs. The minister has been accused of using his influence to allow relatives and personal acquaintances access to the footballer and resigned from his post pending the investigation.

Authorities are continuing to probe security lapses, access violations, the role of organisers and officials, and how such a large number of people gained access to the ground area during the programme.