The Hyderabad crowd was absolutely thrilled as football legend Lionel Messi attended the GOAT Cup exhibition match, held as part of his three-day visit to India. Messi arrived in the city in the evening and reached the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium at around 7:55 PM IST, drawing massive cheers from fans.
The Argentine superstar didn’t just make a brief appearance. He even played football with Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and calmly scored a goal, sending the crowd into a frenzy. A video of the moment has since gone viral on social media.
Earlier in the day in Kolkata, the atmosphere had been far from pleasant. Around 50,000 fans, many of whom had paid between Rs 4,000 and Rs 12,000 for tickets and in some cases up to Rs 20,000 in the black market, were left furious at the Salt Lake Stadium.
Messi was surrounded by politicians, VVIPs, security personnel, and others more focused on taking selfies than managing the crowd.
The situation quickly spiraled out of control. Angry fans began throwing bottles, which are banned inside the stadium. Chairs were torn out and hurled, while fiberglass seats were left smashed across the pitch and the synthetic track.
But the scene in Hyderabad later in the day was completely different. Messi arrived under tight security as fans cheered loudly in large numbers. His teammates Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, who are travelling with him in India, were also present at the venue.
An exhibition match was held before Messi joined CM Revanth Reddy on the field. The two exchanged a few passes before Messi found the net, triggering loud celebrations and ending the night on a high for Hyderabad football fans.