Messi Visit Disrupted by Kolkata Stadium Chaos

Lionel Messi’s visit to India began on a chaotic note after unruly scenes erupted at Kolkata’s Salt Lake Stadium, prompting police to detain the event’s chief organiser following allegations of serious mismanagement.

Fans at the ticketed event threw objects onto the pitch, ripped up stadium seats, and breached security barriers after the Argentine football icon made only a brief appearance. Messi, who was scheduled to spend around 45 minutes at the stadium, left after approximately 20 minutes, triggering anger and confusion among spectators.

Satadru Dutta, the main organiser of the event, has been detained, West Bengal Director General of Police Rajeev Kumar confirmed. Authorities said action was being taken to ensure accountability for the lapses in crowd control and event management.

Tickets for the event were priced from about ₹3,500, with some fans claiming they paid as much as $130. One supporter, Eddie Lal Hmangaihzuala, who travelled nearly 1,500 km from Mizoram, expressed disappointment over the experience. “There was so much mismanagement. Messi left quickly—I think he felt unsafe. I barely caught a glimpse of him,” he said.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee apologised to Messi and fans, calling the incident disturbing and unacceptable. She announced the formation of a committee to investigate the incident, fix responsibility, and recommend measures to prevent similar occurrences in the future.

Messi is in India as part of a multi-city tour that includes concerts, youth football clinics, a padel tournament, and charitable initiatives across Kolkata, Hyderabad, Mumbai, and New Delhi. Organisers of the tour did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The incident has revived concerns over crowd management at Salt Lake Stadium, which has previously witnessed fan violence, including a notorious 2012 Kolkata derby that was abandoned after a player was seriously injured by a projectile from the stands.

Despite India’s cricket dominance, states such as West Bengal, Kerala, and Goa have a deep-rooted football culture. Messi, who captained Argentina at Salt Lake Stadium in a 2011 friendly, also virtually unveiled a 70-foot statue of himself in Kolkata earlier on Saturday—underscoring the intensity of local fandom that, on this occasion, spiralled out of control.