Lionel Messi, one of the world’s greatest footballers and captain of the Argentina national football team, arrived in Kolkata in the early hours of Friday.
He landed at around 3 a.m. and received a rousing welcome from fans who gathered in large numbers to greet the global football icon.
To commemorate his visit, a 70-feet-tall statue of Messi was installed at Laketown in north Kolkata by the Sribhumi Sporting Club. The statue depicts Messi holding the FIFA World Cup trophy.
Messi formally unveiled the statue through video conferencing earlier today. Actor Shah Rukh Khan, accompanied by his family, attended the unveiling ceremony.
Following this, elaborate arrangements have been made for a grand celebration at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (Salt Lake Stadium), which has a seating capacity of around 78,000. The event has been organised to mark Messi’s arrival in the city, with tickets reportedly priced up to Rs 7,000.
Several prominent personalities, including West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, former Indian cricket captain Sourav Ganguly, former tennis player Leander Paes, and actor Shah Rukh Khan, are expected to participate.
Messi is also scheduled to meet one of his ardent fans, Shib Shankar Batra, a 56-year-old Kolkata resident. A passionate supporter of the Argentine team, Batra has decorated his house in the colours of the Argentine flag and renamed his tea shop as the “Argentina Fan Club.” Despite health issues, he is keen to see Messi in person and has already purchased tickets for the event.
After completing his Kolkata visit, Messi will travel to Hyderabad in the afternoon, where he is scheduled to take part in an exhibition football match in the evening. He will then proceed to Mumbai tomorrow to attend various events.
On December 15, he is expected to travel to New Delhi and meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, concluding his three-day, 72-hour visit to India.
