Lionel Messi’s special gift for Sunil Chhetri wins hearts; fans touched by wholesome moment: ‘Goat meets India’s pride'
Posted on: Dec 14, 2025 21:23 IST | Posted by: Hindustantimes
Lionel Messi’s republic of india tour has gripped the nation, drawing massive crowds eager to catch a glimpse of arguably the greatest footballer of all time. The Argentine legend began his visit on December 13 in Kolkata, but the opening leg quickly became controversial due to poor crowd management, forcing Messi to leave the Salt Lake Stadium early and triggering criticism of the organisers. The tone shifted later that evening when Messi travelled to Hyderabad, where the event unfolded smoothly. Around 50,000 fans turned up to witness the spectacle, with tighter arrangements and better crowd control ensuring a far more seamless and memorable Messi-mania experience.
The tour reached Mumbai on Sunday, drawing a host of big names, but the message from the stands was unmistakable — fans were there for Messi, Luis Suarez and Rodrigo De Paul, with Indian legends Sachin Tendulkar and Sunil Chhetri the only exceptions. The Messi–Chhetri interaction set Wankhede Stadium alight, as the two football icons shared a handshake and a brief exchange, sending the crowd into raptures. Chhetri later featured in the celebrity match for Mitra All Stars and even scored a goal. The defining moment of the evening, however, came on stage when Messi presented Chhetri with his signed Argentina jersey, drawing the loudest cheers of the night.
During the Mumbai leg, Messi, Luis Suarez and Rodrigo De Paul made an immediate impact upon entering the venue. They began by greeting the players involved in the exhibition match before soaking in the atmosphere, drawing loud cheers from fans spread across the stands and pavilions named after Indian cricket greats such as Sunil Gavaskar, Sachin Tendulkar, Dilip Vengsarkar and Vijay Merchant.
The 7-a-side exhibition game featured several current Indian internationals, including Rahul Bheke and Konsham Chinglensana, alongside women’s team star Bala Devi and Sunil Chhetri. As seen in Hyderabad, the trio later kicked balls into the crowd, took a lap around the ground and spent time interacting with young footballers from the Project Maha-Deva programme at both ends of the centre square. The one-hour-long programme at the Wankhede went off smoothly.
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