Lionel Messi’s India tour turns a corner as Hyderabad gets it right after Kolkata chaos on Day 1

Lionel Messi’s daytime 1 in India was a tale of two halves. While his brief appearance in Kolkata descended into chaos, with fans failing to catch a glimpse of him during a 22-minute visit to the Salt Lake Stadium, the Hyderabad leg unfolded smoothly, underlining the difference that planning, preparation, and discipline can make.

Messi arrived in Hyderabad at 5:40 pm after a turbulent opening leg in Kolkata and was received by Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy at the Taj Falaknuma Palace. Dressed casually in a green crew-neck T-shirt, black trousers and sports shoes, the World Cup-winning legend appeared noticeably more relaxed, in stark contrast to the tense and hurried demeanour he cut earlier in the day. He then headed to the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, where a near-capacity crowd awaited him.

Inside the stadium, Messi was seen admiring photographs displayed on the walls and interacting with officials before acknowledging the crowd with a wave from behind a glass barrier. He later delighted fans by showing off some of his football skills and watched the GOAT Cup, a 7-a-side exhibition match, from the sidelines.

Messi, along with Luis Suárez and fellow Argentina World Cup winner Rodrigo De Paul, also took part in a GOAT Cup penalty shootout.

Following the match, a presentation ceremony was held, during which Messi handed the GOAT Cup to the winning team. Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Chief Minister Revanth Reddy felicitated the visiting trio, with Gandhi presenting a memento to Suárez and Reddy honouring Messi.

Addressing the crowd, Messi said: “I am very happy to be in Hyderabad amid all the love and affection shown by you all.”

Earlier in the day, however, more than 50,000 spectators at the Salt Lake Stadium, many of whom had paid between INR 4,000 and INR 12,000, and in some cases up to INR 20,000 on the black market, watched helplessly as a swarm of politicians, VVIPs, security personnel and hangers-on crowded around Messi. The Argentine superstar was barely visible, even on the three giant screens installed inside the venue.

After Messi left the stadium in just 22 minutes, tempers flared. Spectators hurled water bottles and food packets onto the field, while chairs were ripped out and thrown, bringing a chaotic end to his Kolkata appearance.

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