KOLKATA, INDIA, 13 Dec. - (ANA) - Lionel Messi’s tour of India began in chaotic fashion as fans invaded the pitch after he made only a brief appearance while shielded from view by a large entourage.

 

Fans in the Salt Lake stadium in Kolkata threw ripped-up stadium seats onto the pitch while several people climbed a fence around the field and hurled objects after an appearance that lasted just 20 minutes.

 

Messi is in India as part of a tour during which he is scheduled to attend concerts, youth football clinics, a padel tournament and launch charitable initiatives at events in Kolkata, Hyderabad, Mumbai and New Delhi.

 

“Only leaders and actors were surrounding Messi,” a fan told the ANI news agency. “We have got a ticket for 12,000 rupees (£98), but we were not even able to see his face.”

 

The organisers of Argentina and Inter Miami forward’s tour of India did not immediately respond to a request for ‍a comment.

 

Satadru Dutta, the event’s chief organiser, has been detained by police according to director general of West Bengal police, Rajeev Kumar.

 

“We’ve already detained the main organiser,” Kumar told reporters. “We’re taking action so that this mismanagement does not go unpunished.

 

“He has already pledged in writing that tickets sold for the event should be refunded,” he added.

 

The chief minister of West Bengal state, Mamata Banerjee, apologised to Messi ‍and ordered a probe into the incident.

 

“I am deeply disturbed and shocked by the mismanagement witnessed today at Salt Lake stadium,” Banerjee, who was on her way to the event when chaos broke out, posted ?on ‌social media.

 

“I sincerely apologise to Lionel ‍Messi, as well as to all sports lovers and his fans, for the unfortunate incident,” she said. “I am constituting an enquiry committee... the ?committee will conduct a detailed enquiry ‍into the incident, fix responsibility, and recommend measures to prevent such occurrences in the future.”

 

Messi, who played in a friendly match at the Salt Lake Stadium in 2011 in which Argentina defeated Venezuela 1-0, virtually unveiled a 70-foot statue of himself in Kolkata on Saturday.

 

West Bengal, Kerala and Goa ?states have long had large football followings. Diego Maradona twice visited Kolkata and ‌in 2017 unveiled a statue of ?himself holding the World Cup, in the presence of ‍thousands of fans.   - (ANA) -

 

AB/ANA/13 December 2025 - - -