Lionel Messi to visit India in December: Full schedule, tickets and what to expect

Football fans in India are in for a big moment this December. Lionel Messi is set to visit the country after more than 10 years. If everything goes according to plan, he will stop in Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, and New Delhi between December 12 and 15.

Lionel Messi set to visit India in December

Kolkata will be Messi's first stop. Messi is expected to land there on the night of December 12 around 10pm and stay for two days and one night. His day in Kolkata will begin early on December 13. He will attend a meet-and-greet session early in the day and go on to unveil a 70-foot statue of himself in Lake Town’s Sribhumi area on VIP Road. The organisers claim it is the tallest statue of him anywhere in the world.

Next, Messi will go to Eden Gardens. From 12pm to 1.30pm, fans can attend the GOAT Concert and the GOAT Cup, which is a soft-touch, seven-a-side football match. Sourav Ganguly, John Abraham and Bhaichung Bhutia are likely to play alongside him. Tickets for this event will be priced at around INR 3,500 or more. Eden Gardens will be open to full capacity, which means up to 68,000 people may attend. 

Later that evening, Messi will fly to Ahmedabad for a private event hosted by the Adani Foundation. The next day, December 14, he will be in Mumbai. He is scheduled to appear at a meet-and-greet at CCI at 3.45pm, followed by the GOAT Cup and Concert at Wankhede Stadium at 5.30pm.

There were rumours about him playing cricket with MS Dhoni or Virat Kohli, but organisers said that will not happen. Messi may also meet the Indian football team in Mumbai, depending on their availability. On December 15, he will be in Delhi to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Later, there will be another GOAT Concert and Cup at Feroz Shah Kotla stadium at 2.15pm.

In each city, Messi will hold a short “masterclass” session with children. These sessions are meant to encourage young footballers. Messi is expected to travel with a team, but no names have been confirmed yet. This will be his second visit to India. His first was in 2011 for a match in Kolkata. Fans will no doubt be ready once again to welcome him with open arms.

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