‘Will definitely return to India’: Messi thanks fans during GOAT India Tour finale

Argentina football legend Lionel Messi on Monday said he would definitely return to India, expressing gratitude to fans for the overwhelming affection he received during the final leg of the GOAT India Tour at the Arun Jaitley Stadium here.

Messi was presented with tickets for the India vs USA Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 match by ICC chairman Jay Shah. He was also gifted a framed cricket bat and a Team India jersey, along with fellow footballers Rodrigo de Paul and Luis Suarez. Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and DDCA president Rohan Jaitley were also present at the event.

Former Indian goalkeeper Aditi Chauhan, who represented West Ham United in the Women’s Premier League, presented signed T-shirts to all three visiting football stars.

Acknowledging the crowd chanting his name at the stadium, Messi thanked Indian fans for their warmth and enthusiasm. “Thank you for all the affection you have shown us here in India over these days. Truly, it was a unique experience for us. Although it was intense and very short, it was wonderful to receive all this love. We will surely return someday — perhaps to play a match or on some other occasion — but we will definitely visit again,” Messi said.

Messi was scheduled to arrive in the national capital earlier in the day, but his charter flight was delayed due to fog. He later proceeded to the Leela Palace Hotel, where he attended a meet-and-greet session with a select group of guests.

The GOAT India Tour had a mixed start, with crowd management issues reported during Messi’s visit to Kolkata’s Salt Lake Stadium, where thousands of fans gathered to catch a glimpse of the football icon alongside Suarez and de Paul.

During his stay in Hyderabad, Messi participated in photo sessions, interacted with children, and appeared briefly on the big screen and broadcast visuals at Uppal Stadium while watching a match from the VIP box.

Earlier, Messi visited Mumbai, where he interacted with cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, current and former footballers, film personalities, celebrities, and political leaders at the Wankhede Stadium.

(This story was taken from syndicated feed and was only edited for style by Gujarat Samachar Digital team)