Lionel Messi arrives in Mumbai for next leg of GOAT India Tour, Delhi next

Argentina football icon Lionel Messi arrived in Mumbai on Sunday for the next leg of his GOAT India Tour 2025.

The FIFA World Cup winner reached the city after a chaotic visit to Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium—where fans grew angry over VIPs and politicians allegedly dominating his time—and a warmly received appearance in Hyderabad.

Messi kicks off his Mumbai schedule at the Cricket Club of India (CCI), where he will attend an exhibition paddle tournament. He heads to Wankhede Stadium around 5:30 pm for photo opportunities with Bollywood celebrities and other guests.

At around 6:40 pm, India football legend Sunil Chhetri and cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar are expected to join him. Messi, along with Inter Miami teammates Luis Suarez and Rodrigo de Paul, will walk the ramp in a charity fashion show, followed by a celebrity football match.

In Hyderabad, at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, the second stop of the tour, Messi took part in a 7-on-7 exhibition football match alongside Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy. He also met Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and presented him with his iconic number 10 Argentina jersey. Messi posed for photographs with Rahul Gandhi and his teammates.

Messi was felicitated by the Telangana Chief Minister and, as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, briefly played football with children at the venue. Fans turned out in large numbers in Hyderabad, a stark contrast to the Kolkata unrest.

Under-14 football players from across Maharashtra, selected by the state Sports Department, will practise with Messi on Sunday. Delhi marks the tour's final stop on Monday.

(With ANI inputs)