Messi’s tour of India gets off to chaotic start with fans throwing bottles

Argentina shot icon Lionel Messi is connected a three-day GOAT circuit of India up of the 2026 defence of FIFA World Cup.

Lionel Messi’s much-hyped circuit of India got disconnected to a rocky commencement connected Saturday with aggravated fans throwing bottles and attempting to vandalise a stadium aft galore of them failed to get much than conscionable a glimpse of their hero.

The Times of India reported that galore summons holders said that they failed to spot Messi astatine each – either successful idiosyncratic oregon connected the stadium’s large screens – contempt waiting for hours.

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West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee apologised to the Argentinian shot prima for the “mismanagement” of the event.

“I americium profoundly disturbed and shocked by the mismanagement witnessed contiguous astatine Salt Lake Stadium,” Banerjee wrote connected societal media, wherever she besides apologised to fans who had expected much aft paying for tickets.

Police officials talk to spectators arsenic they propulsion debris onto the tract astatine Vivekananda Yuva Bharati Krirangan (VYBK) during the Lionel Messi GOAT circuit [Ayush Kumar/Getty Images]

Banerjee said a committee would beryllium constituted to “conduct a elaborate enquiry into the incident, hole responsibility, and urge measures to forestall specified occurrences successful the future”.

Messi’s three-day “GOAT (Greatest of All Time) India Tour” was to bring the World Cup victor from Kolkata to Hyderabad and past Mumbai earlier concluding successful New Delhi connected Monday.

He was joined by longtime teammates Luis Suarez and Rodrigo De Paul.

Earlier connected Saturday, Messi remotely “unveiled” a 21-metre (70-foot) statue of himself successful Kolkata.

A instrumentality hits a dependable strategy with a rod during the Lionel Messi GOAT circuit [Ayush Kumar/Getty Images]

Former FIFA President Sepp Blatter erstwhile described India arsenic a “sleeping giant” successful the shot arena, but the athletics successful the state has tally into galore problems successful caller years.

The Indian Super League (ISL) – India’s apical shot contention – has been in information of collapse implicit a quality betwixt the federation and its commercialized partner.

ISL broadside Bengaluru FC stopped paying the salaries of its archetypal team’s players and unit arsenic a effect of the turmoil.

In a connection successful August, the 2018-19 ISL champions said they had taken the determination “in presumption of the uncertainty surrounding the aboriginal of the Indian Super League season”.

A 21-metre statue of planetary footballer Lionel Messi of Argentina was built successful Lake Town for the Lionel Messi GOAT circuit [Ayush Kumar/Getty Images]