Messi show turns messy in Kolkata — angry fans cite mismanagement; fan skips wedding to see legend but feels betrayed

A highly anticipated event featuring football legend Lionel Messi as part of his GOAT Tour at Kolkata Salt Lake Stadium descended into chaos, with angry fans among a crowd of around 80,000 vandalising the venue over what they described as gross mismanagement.

Several of the emotional reactions from fans, including accounts of cancelled weddings and honeymoons, were reported by news agency ANI.

The scale of disappointment was devastating for devoted supporters who had made enormous personal sacrifices to attend the event. One couple revealed they had cancelled their honeymoon to see Messi.

“Last Friday we got married and we cancelled our honeymoon plan because Messi is coming as this is important,” the fan said. “We have been following him since 2010.”

Another heartbroken attendee said he had walked away from his own wedding ceremony just to catch a glimpse of the Argentine star.

“It’s my wedding day, but I left all the ceremonies to be here just for Messi,” he said. “The management was so pathetic that I couldn’t even see him.”

Frustration quickly boiled over as fans accused organisers of prioritising VIPs over paying ticket holders. Several supporters claimed they were completely blocked from seeing Messi despite paying premium prices.

“Only leaders and actors were surrounding Messi. Why did they call us then?” one fan complained. “We bought a ticket for 12,000 rupees, but we weren’t even able to see his face.”

“Absolutely terrible event,” another attendee said. “He came for just 10 minutes. All the leaders and ministers surrounded him. We couldn’t see anything. He didn’t take a single kick or penalty. So much money, emotions and time wasted.”

In the aftermath of the chaos, devastated supporters expressed a sense of betrayal and demanded refunds, calling the event a complete scam.

“All the people you see here love football. We all wanted to see Messi, but it was a total scam. We want our money back,” one fan said.

“The management was so bad. It is a black day for Kolkata. Kolkata is known for football. We love football and we love Argentina, but this experience was absolutely a scam.”

Another fan highlighted the stark divide between VIP attendees and ordinary ticket holders.

“The ministers were there with their children and the other people could not see anything. We are very hurt.”

As anger mounted, fans reportedly threw bottles and chairs from the stands before Messi left the stadium.

Prominent journalist Rajdeep Sardesai weighed in on the controversy, using the incident to highlight deeper issues within Indian football.

“MESSI or MESS? Wonderful to have the great Lionel Messi in India. But here is the catch. India now ranks a low 142 in world FIFA rankings, ISL abandoned, Indian football is a total mess,” he wrote.

“Having Messi in town will lead to photo ops for netas and celebrities and some temporary crowd excitement. But can some of that enthusiasm and sponsor interest also be channelled into the sport? Else we will remain what we were for decades, a nation of sports watchers, not players.”

The incident has since triggered widespread outrage across social media, with fans continuing to demand accountability for what many have described as a complete organisational failure.