NEW DELHI: Football legend Lionel Messi on Tuesday departed Jamnagar after visiting Vantara, the wildlife rescue and conservation centre, bringing the curtain down on his much-celebrated GOAT India Tour 2025. Hosted by Anant Ambani at Vantara, the visit marked Messi’s final stop before his exit from the country, capping a tour that drew massive crowds and unprecedented attention across four major Indian cities.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Jamnagar followed a whirlwind itinerary that took the Argentine icon to Kolkata, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Delhi, with each stop offering fans a rare glimpse of the World Cup-winning superstar. The national capital hosted the grand finale of the tour, where an on-field programme at Arun Jaitley Stadium served as a fitting conclusion amid huge fan enthusiasm.
Messi arrived in Delhi on December 15 along with former Barcelona teammates Luis Suarez and Rodrigo De Paul after completing engagements in Mumbai. The highlight of the Delhi leg was a celebrity football match between the Minerva Messi All Stars and the Celebrity Messi All Stars. Messi later stepped onto the field for a brief interaction with players from both teams and spent time with young footballers, exchanging passes with Suarez and De Paul in moments that left aspiring talents awestruck.The Delhi event concluded with a stage ceremony attended by Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and several prominent dignitaries, including ICC chairman Jay Shah, DDCA president Rohan Jaitley and former India football captain Bhaichung Bhutia. Jay Shah presented specially curated Indian cricket jerseys to Messi, Suarez and De Paul, while Messi also received a commemorative cricket bat signed by legendary Indian cricketers.Earlier in the tour, Messi graced Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium, where he met Indian football great Sunil Chhetri and cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar. In Hyderabad, he took part in a 7-on-7 exhibition match at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, interacted with Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and met Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi.The tour began in Kolkata but ended amid controversy, with fans expressing frustration over pitch-side overcrowding that limited their view of the football icon. Despite that rocky start, Messi’s GOAT India Tour 2025 concluded as a landmark moment for Indian football fandom, leaving behind memories few will forget.
