A newlywed couple from Kolkata put their honeymoon on hold to catch a glimpse of their hero – football icon Lionel Messi, who arrived in the city on Saturday.
The fans erupted into jubilant celebrations as Messi arrived in town. The Argentine legend will visit Kolkata as part of his GOAT Tour 2025.
Among the sea of fans gathered outside Salt Lake Stadium, waiting for just a glimpse of Messi, was a newly married couple. Speaking to news agency ANI, they said they called off their honeymoon because “Messi is important”.
“We got married recently but we canceled our honeymoon plan when Messi visited because we wanted to see Messi first… We are very excited to see him and have been following him for 10-12 years,” Karan, a die-hard Messi fan, told ANI.
His wife echoed the sentiment, saying: “We got married last Friday and canceled our honeymoon plan because Messi is coming because it’s important. We’ve been following him since 2010.”
Aayush, a fan from Nepal, said he was excited to see Messi and called it a childhood dream and a unique opportunity that brought him to Kolkata.
“I can’t express my feelings in words. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and that’s why I came to Kolkata from Nepal,” Aayush told ANI.
An ecstatic Messi fan said the legendary footballer is his “mohabbat”.
“I have loved Messi since 2007… ‘Mohabbat hai’…” he said. “We will win the World Cup again in 2026. Argentina will be the champion…”
Messi arrives in Kolkata
Meanwhile, the Barcelona legend landed in Kolkata in the wee hours of Saturday. His arrival at the international terminal was met with fans chanting, shouting and raising flags for their favourite.
However, fans were left disappointed when Messi was kicked out through the VIP gate under heavy security. A heavy convoy was positioned to escort him to his hotel, where another huge crowd awaited him.
Messi arrived with Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul.
Messi’s India Tour Schedule
Apart from his first pit stop in Kolkata, Lionel Messi is set to visit Hyderabad, Mumbai and Delhi. He is also scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday.
