It’s now official. Lionel Messi has confirmed that he is coming to India. The legend will be visiting the country. He last played in India in 2011 in a friendly vs Venezuela which Argentina won 1-0 in Kolkata. This time he is visiting Kolkata again along with other cities.

“It is such an honour for me to make this trip. India is a very special country, and I have good memories from my time there 14 years ago — the fans were fantastic. India is a passionate football nation, and I look forward to meeting a new generation of fans while sharing the love I have for this beautiful game,” he said in an official statement.

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A lot has happened between his previous and upcoming visit. Messi currently plays for Inter Miami and also won the FIFA World Cup a couple of years back. He was a 24-year-old star then and now he’s a 38-year-old legend. Messi has evolved from a great player to an iconic one and that is the man who will be coming to India after 14 years.

It starts at the Salt Lake Stadium with the GOAT concert and GOAT Cup. He shall share the field with legends such as Bhaichung Bhutia, Sourav Ganguly and Leander Paes in an exhibition game. The event will be from noon to 1.30 pm and the evening shall see him interact with fans as well. On the same day, Messi will go to Ahmedabad and is the chief guest at a gala hosted by the Adani Foundation. This is a private event and it will mainly look towards youth development and sports education.

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The next day will see Messi in Mumbai at the Wankhede Stadium where he shall display his skills in the Padel GOAT Cup. The likes of Shahrukh Khan, MS Dhoni and Sachin Tendulkar are supposed to be present for the main event that begins at 5.30 pm.

Messi’s tour shall end in New Delhi. He’s expected to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and discuss football plus youth development. The final event is at 2.15 pm at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill are expected to be in attendance.

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The prices for Messi’s GOAT tour range from Rs. 3500 to Rs. 50,000. The general sale begins on October 9 at 2 pm. One can find them on the district app.

The Argentina national football team has included India in its schedule for a November FIFA international window. This means we could see Messi in India earlier and then again in December. The world champions are supposed to play a friendly in Kerala between November 10 and November 18. But no opponent or venue has been confirmed. Should that happen, Messi will make two trips to India in a short span of time. Of course, nobody knows for sure if the legend will take part in the match in Kerala.

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“I will be surprised if the legendary footballer comes twice in a month. However, it is most likely that the Argentina team minus Messi may come to play in Kerala,” a source in the state said.

It is not clear if Messi is playing in the FIFA World Cup next year. He shall turn 39 while the tournament is underway and it could be his farewell to international football. Messi currently has 114 goals in 194 matches and is the second highest in international football. How many will he end up with and can he also break the 200-game barrier? Only time will tell!