Hyderabad: Football legend Lionel Messi is currently in India for the much-anticipated GOAT India Tour 2025. The three-day tour includes stops in Kolkata, Hyderabad, Mumbai, and New Delhi. Messi arrived on Saturday and has already met fans and dignitaries in multiple cities. However, fans hoping to see him play a full football match in India are likely to be disappointed.
Lionel Messi is on a meet-and-greet tour and does not have any club or international matches scheduled in India. The main reason behind this is his high-value insurance policy. According to media reports, Messi has one of the most expensive athlete insurance policies in the world. His left foot is reportedly insured for up to Rs. 8,151.3 crore (900 million USD).
This insurance protects him from financial losses in case of a career-threatening injury, but only during official matches played for his club Inter Miami or the Argentina national team.
The insurance policy does not cover exhibition or friendly matches. If Messi gets injured during such games, he could lose compensation worth millions of dollars. Because of this risk, global football stars avoid playing non-official matches during promotional tours.
Joy Bhattacharjya, Director General of the Federation of Indian Fantasy Sports, explained that top international footballers cannot play even semi-serious matches unless it is for their club or country. He added that injuries during exhibition games are not covered under insurance, making it a risk no player can afford.
While Messi will not play a full match, fans will still get a chance to see him during events like the Padel GOAT Cup in Mumbai. His visit continues to create massive excitement across India.
