Kolkata, Dec 12 (UNI) Fourteen years after his memorable trip to this eastern metropolis, where he wore the Argentine national team captain’s armband for the first time, soccer magician Lionel Messi returns to the city on Saturday, amidst heightened security, and palpable euphoria.
However, on the flip side, the 38-year-old Messi’s whirlwind half day visit, the first leg of his four-city “GOAT India Tour”, comes at a time of gripping uncertainty for Indian football, capped by the plummeting performance of its national side. A question mark hangs over the holding of the top-flight tourney – the fancied Indian Super League – while the national men’s side has dropped six places to the 142nd slot in the FIFA rankings this month.
However, on the morrow, all this is likely to take a back seat, as Kolkata – the soccer crazy city of cricket-mad India – is all set to roll out the red carpet for one of its favoured stars whose private jet is set to land in the city airport a little after Friday-Saturday midnight from Miami (via Dubai). Some of Messi’s Inter Miami teammates are also accompanying him.
During his brief stay, Messi is scheduled to attend a sponsors’ programme at the hotel where he will be put up, and is also likely to virtually unveil his 70-feet statue installed at the entrance to Kolkata, just beyond the airport stretch. The statue is the brainchild of West Bengal’s Fire Services Minister Sujit Bose.
Then at 10-30 a.m, the “Messi Show” unfolds at the Vivekananda YuvaBharati stadium – the same venue where on September 2, 2011, Messi had led Argentina to a 1-0 win over Venezuela in an international friendly.
Messi will watch a brief exhibition match between Mohun Bagan and Diamond Harbour FC, followed by a football clinic with young aspirants. According to the organisers, he is scheduled to fly out of the city at 1 pm.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, and former Indian cricket captain Sourav Ganguly are expected to greet the eight time Ballon d’Or winner at the stadium.
The Hindi film star has publicly expressed his eagerness to meet Messi
“This time round I am not planning my Knight in Kolkata and hoping the day Ride is completely ‘Messi’, see you guys on the 13th at the Salt Lake Stadium,” Khan said on his X handle.
The atmosphere in the city is quite electric, with the soccer fans waiting for another glimpse of the Argentine star, and organisers busy giving the final touches to the arrangements.
Messi will be accorded Z-plus security, a category typically reserved for visiting heads of state, with more than 5,000 personnel expected to be on the ground to ensure an incident-free visit.
A three-tier security cordon will be activated from the moment he arrives.
The innermost layer will be manned by specialised commando units, followed by a buffer ring of armed personnel and an outer ring of crowd-management forces.
To ensure uninterrupted movement between the airport, hotel, and stadium, Messi will travel via designated green channels, with short motorcades cleared in advance and public access strictly restricted.
Continuous coordination is being maintained with central security agencies, traffic police, disaster-management units, and event organisers.
“We are expecting a massive turnout. Our traffic and parking plan has been designed to prevent congestion and ensure safe dispersal after the event,” a senior officer from Bidhannagar police said.
During his previous visit to Kolkata, Messi was yet to reach the peak of his career. Since then, he has travelled a long way, incuding leading Argentina to the World Cup triumph in 2022. Now he is in the twilight of his career. But the craze for the Messi magic has not faded. And tomorrow is likely to prove that once again.
Messi fever grips Kolkata as Argentine ball magician returns after 14 years
