New Delhi: The Lionel Messi G.O.A.T. India Tour that began in shambolic fashion ended in a blaze of glory as the football icon promised to return after giving his fans a lifetime of memories in just 30 minutes here on Monday.
For a change, it was football that took centre stage at the Arun Jaitley Cricket Stadium as devotional fans joyously gathered to catch a glimpse of a man that does things on the field that are often beyond human comprehension.
The Messi mania reached a fever pitch when he took the mike to address the large gathering that also included Delhi’s Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, ICC chairman Jay Shah and former India football captain Bhaichung Bhutua among others.
“Well, I just want to thank everyone for the love and affection during these days in India. In fact, it was a truly beautiful experience for us to be able to share it,” Messi told the crowd.
Speaking in Spanish, a language not spoken by most in the city but still created a sense of yearning among the fans, “Messi added, “And although it was short and intense, it was wonderful to receive all this love that I knew existed, but receiving it directly was amazing. It was a crazy experience, everything they did for us these days.
“So, we carry all this love with us, and we will definitely return, hopefully one day to play a match or on another occasion, but we will definitely return to visit India. Thank you very much.”
In the end, the much-publicised and anticipated event had the ending it wanted, after a chaotic beginning in Kolkata on the tour’s first stop on Saturday.
The thousands of heads totting the stands at Kotla, as well as the few Indian celebrities and dignitaries inside the ground, basked in the euphoria of hosting one of the world’s most recognisable and bankable athletes at an extravagant event.
They were perhaps swept away by the otherworldly talent, the humility, and the impact that this man has had on the game over the last two decades.
Upon arrival, Messi took a lap of the ground smiling, and watched the celebrity match coming to an end, even as the spectators, many of whom were dressed in the famous blue and white Argentine jersey bearing No. 10, chanted his name continuously.
He was waving to the stands, something he tried to do in Kolkata too but could not as, unlike here, he was crowded by too many people, including politicians and their aides, at the Salt Lake Stadium on Saturday.
As confetti showered down on him, Messi kicked the ball occasionally into the stands of spectators along with his Inter Miami teammates Luis Suarez and Rodrigo De Paul while taking a round of the venue that registered an attendance of around 25000.
Messi felicitated the Minerva Academy team, and he also played football with kids after a photo with them. The trio shook hands with them and exchanged smiles.
During the programme, Shah presented Messi with an Indian cricket team jersey bearing the No. 10. Suarez received a No. 9 jersey, while De Paul was handed the No. 7 shirt.
Meanwhile, with Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) level reaching an alarming 452 earlier in the morning, some in stands were heard chanting “AQI, AQI”, when CM Gupta arrived at the venue.
For Amog and Arnav Purohit, the Feroz Shah Kotla on Monday was never just another stop on the map. It was a pilgrimage.
The brothers were among the thousands of spectators at the venue, their eyes fixed on the ground, phones in hand to record the moment.
For years, Messi had lived on their screens, late-night kick-offs, whispered celebrations, and heartbreaks endured together. Seeing him in the flesh, even briefly, felt unreal.
“This was a dream come true moment for us,” Amog said, still trying to process “Watching him live… ideally, we would have liked to see him play, but unfortunately, that couldn’t happen.”
Messi’s visit was fleeting. Too fleeting, perhaps, for fans who had travelled across states and countries. The crowd waited for around five hours and then the Argentine icon was gone almost as quickly as he arrived.
“The crowd management could have been better. He was here for a really short time,” Amog added, the disappointment tempered by perspective.
“We had planned to go for his Kerala match. Money was never a problem.”
Arnav’s journey was more literal. He flew in from Bengaluru with his partner, carving time out of work to live life for a moment that mattered.
“I flew from Bangalore specially for this,” he said. “My brother and I have been Messi fans for a really long time. For him we can do anything.”
There was no goal to celebrate, no left-footed curler to replay endlessly. Yet, as they stood in line to board the metro there was no regret, only quiet satisfaction.
Earlier in the day, Messi arrived here for the final leg of tour after his flight from Mumbai was delayed considerably due to inclement weather.
Messi, who was in Mumbai for the second day of his three-day whirlwind trip to India, was to land in the national capital around 10:45am but his charter flight was held up due to foggy conditions here.
He landed at the Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport around 2:30pm, and straightaway proceeded to the Leela Palace Hotel where he had a Meet and Greet session with a select group of people.
