Moments before disaster, Lionel Messi unveils his statue in Kolkata

Overview

• A 70-feet statue of Lionel Messi was unveiled by himself in Kolkata during his 'GOAT Tour of India' on the 13th of December, 2025
• The veteran addressed the fans for making his statue and expressed his pleasure for their support throughout his career
• What followed was unfortunate, as the fans were denied Messi's glimpse by the organizers, ruining the event

A 70-feet statue of Lionel Messi was unveiled by himself in Kolkata during his 'GOAT Tour of India' on the 13th of December, 2025. The veteran addressed the fans for making his statue and expressed his pleasure for their support throughout his career. What followed was unfortunate, as the fans were denied Messi's glimpse by the organizers, ruining the event.

After unveiling his statue, Messi addressed the fans in Kolkata. The 2022 World Cup winner was pleased to have the support in India for him and his national team. He felt glad to be in India and was pleased to have got a chance to unveil his statue.

Also Read: Fans vandalise Salt Lake Stadium after being denied Lionel Messi's glimpse

"It's a great pleasure for me to have done this inauguration today because I am very pleased with the support the people of Kolkata give to the national team and to me, and I feel great being here," Messi said after the inauguration of his statue in Kolkata.

Frustrated fans vandalise Salt Lake Stadium after being denied Lionel Messi's glimpse

From what would have been one of the best moments for the fans in the stadium in their lifetime turned out to be a huge nightmare. The Argentine Football star was in the Salt Lake Stadium for just 22 minutes before being escorted out of it to everyone's anger.

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Frustrated fans who had paid thousands of INR to get to see Messi properly were betrayed. As a result, the fans vandalized the stadium by destroying the seats, hoarding, and other infrastructure. The event, which should have been spoken about in good terms, turned out to be a big case of a mismanagement leading to a disaster.