Lionel Messi is officially returning to India in December 2025, making it one of the biggest football moments the country has seen since his 2011 Kolkata appearance. The G.O.A.T. India Tour 2025, branded as “A Satadru Dutta Initiative”, will take the football icon across four major cities from December 13 to 15 in a first-of-its-kind multi-city fan event in India.
The tour which is officially set to take place towards the end of this week has been one of the most anticipated events for football fans across India. Searches for “Messi India tour”, “Messi tickets India” and “Messi India dates” have surged sharply on Google Trends, telling us the massive frenzy around the tour.
The GOAT tour will start on December 13 in Kolkata, followed by an evening visit to Hyderabad on the same day. Following his trip to Hyderabad, the football icon will be in Mumbai the next day, before concluding the tour in New Delhi on Monday, where the World Cup winner is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his residence.
Each city event includes a 7v7 exhibition match, football clinics, musical concerts, and felicitation ceremonies.
Lionel Messi’s India tour – Full schedule
The schedule of Messi’s visit alongside his inter-miami team mates has been listed as follows. More detailed tour leg-wise information regarding celebrities expected at key events and ceremonies is mentioned later.
| Date | City | Venue | Event Time (IST) |
| Dec 13 | Kolkata | Salt Lake Stadium (VYBK) | 10:30 AM onwards |
| Dec 13 | Hyderabad | Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium | 7:00 PM onwards |
| Dec 14 | Mumbai | Wankhede Stadium | 5:00 PM onwards |
| Dec 15 | New Delhi | Arun Jaitley Stadium | 1:30 PM onwards |
Opening leg: Messi return to Kolkata after 14 years
Lionel Messi is anticipated to arrive in Kolkata early on Saturday as the Argentine legend is first scheduled to appear for a sponsor-exclusive meet-and-greet featuring an Argentine–Indian fusion food festival.
The spread will include Argentine herbal tea infused with Assam flavours, alongside Bengali delicacies such as hilsa and a range of traditional sweets. Following the food-fest, Messi is set to virtually unveil his “biggest ever statue”, a humungous 70-foot structure from his team hotel. As per a report by Hindustan Times, the soccer star was asked to do an e-inauguration from his hotel by officials citing security concerns. A 25 ft x 20 ft Messi mural, created for the upcoming Durga Puja season, will also be unveiled the same day.
A crowd of more than 70,000 is expected at the Salt Lake stadium, the only ground on which Messi had played before in 2011. As per multiple media reports the state CM Mamta Banerjee alongside cricketer Sourav Ganguly, John Abraham and Shah Rukh Khan are expected to appear for the 7×7 exhibition match with Messi.
Messi India tour: Battle with state CM in Hyderabad
The most recent addition to Messi’s GOAT India tour, Hyderabad is set to witness one of the highlight fixtures of the tour. During his Hyderabad visit, Messi alongside his Inter-Miami team mates Luis Suarez and Rodrigo De Paul will feature in a 7×7 exhibition match against the state CM, Revanth Reddy’s R9 team composed of government school children who have demonstrated exceptional talent in football.
The event will feature a 7v7 celebrity match, a masterclass for scouted youth players, penalty shootouts, and a musical concert celebrating Messi.
Messi India tour: Bash with celebrities at Mumbai
As per a report by Hindustan Times, Messi is set to mark the opening of the Mumbai leg by donating memorabilia from Argentina’s 2022 World Cup triumph to a charity auction. Following the auction Messi along with Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul is set to indulge in a philanthropic fashion show for a cause.
“It’s a fully reserved night. There will be celebrity models, top cricketers, Bollywood stars, millionaires and founders. Tiger and Jackie Shroff, John Abraham among others,”Organiser of the tour told Hindustan times.
The Mumbai leg will begin at Wankhede Stadium, preceded by a Padel Cup at 3:30 PM at the Cricket Club of India featuring some famous cricketers. Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are rumoured to appear for the paddle game.
Messi India tour: Meeting with Modi in Delhi
Wrapping up his multi-city tour, Messi is set to conclude his GOAT tour in Delhi on December 15. The Argentine legend is reported to start the final day of his tour by meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his residence. Messi will then felicitate India’s Minerva Academy youth team, which swept three major European titles earlier this year – Gothia Cup, Dana Cup and Norway Cup during their July-August tour. There will also be a nine-members celebrity match during Messi’s visit to the capital.