Lionel Messi makes appearance in Delhi as footballer ends India tour

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The 38-year-old Argentina superstar concluded his multi-day circuit of the cricket-crazy federation successful the capital, New Delhi.

Published On 15 Dec 2025

Football superstar Lionel Messi ended his whirlwind circuit of India connected Monday with a thigh of honour successful New Delhi, thrilling thousands of fans and thanking them for “all the emotion and support”.

The 38-year-old Argentine large greeted chanting supporters astatine a astir packed Arun Jaitley Stadium, usually location to cricket, with fans dressed successful Argentina jerseys waving flags and shouting his name.

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“It was beauteous to person each the emotion and support. I knew it was there, but to person it first-hand was, well, amazing,” Messi told the crowd, speaking successful Spanish, saying helium volition “definitely beryllium back”.

Clad successful a pinkish jersey and achromatic trousers, Messi enthralled the assemblage with his charm arsenic helium kicked footballs into the assemblage and obliged star-struck delegates and fans with selfies.

Messi and his chap stars played shot with children earlier being presented with a T20 World Cup summons and an Indian jersey by the president of the International Cricket Council (ICC), Jay Shah.

India – a federation of 1.4 cardinal – is simply a cricket powerhouse, but struggles connected the shot transportation and stands 142nd successful the FIFA rankings.

Former India shot skipper Bhaichung Bhutia took the signifier with Messi, who signed Argentine jerseys for the Indian prima and his family.

Chaos-free last day

Messi’s last halt successful India went smoothly aft a chaotic opening time connected Saturday, erstwhile fans vandalised a stadium successful the metropolis of Kolkata, wherever his little beingness near the assemblage frustrated.

Heavy information near fans struggling to drawback a glimpse of him. Many had paid much than $100 for tickets, and they broke down barricades and stormed the transportation aft the superstar abruptly near the arena.

In New Delhi connected Monday, thousands of excited fans dismissed hazardous choking aerial contamination to spot their hero.

“I’m precise excited to spot Messi; I person been watching him since my childhood,” said 29-year-old instrumentality Sumesh Raina.

New Delhi, and its wider sprawling metropolitan portion of 30 cardinal residents, is regularly ranked among the world’s astir polluted capitals, owed to a deadly premix of emissions from powerfulness plants, dense traffic, arsenic good arsenic the burning of rubbish and crops.

Levels of cancer-causing PM2.5 microparticles deed much than 300 micrograms per cubic metre successful parts of New Delhi connected Monday, according to monitoring organisation IQAir, 20 times the World Health Organization’s recommended regular maximum.

Messi, who is successful India arsenic portion of his alleged GOAT (“Greatest of All Time”) Tour on with his Inter Miami teammates Luis Suarez and Rodrigo De Paul, seemed unperturbed by the toxic air.

He looked successful bully spirits arsenic helium kept up his vigor with fans and shot enthusiasts successful his 35-minute enactment astatine the stadium.

Messi had besides visited the cities of Hyderabad and Mumbai, wherever helium met cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar and Indian shot prima Sunil Chhetri.

The footballer won his 2nd consecutive Major League Soccer (MLS) Most Valuable Player grant past week aft propelling Inter Miami to the MLS rubric and starring the league successful goals.

The erstwhile Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain guardant volition spearhead Argentina’s defence of the World Cup successful June-July successful North America.

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