The promotional visit to India by soccer great Lionel Messi, known as the “GOAT Tour” (a multi-city tour that started in Kolkata on December 13), aimed to honor the player with a number of cultural activities and public appearances. Fans all throughout the nation were promised a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see one of the most renowned athletes in the world during the tour, which was set to include stops in Hyderabad, Mumbai, and Delhi.

But what started out as a triumphant welcome at Kolkata’s enormous Salt Lake Stadium turned into a spectacle of mayhem, damage, and general outrage at what the fans described as awful mismanagement. According to multiple reports, extreme disorganization and poor crowd control led to the event falling flat.

Tickets ranged in price from 3,500 rupees (about $39)—more than half of India’s average weekly income for the most affordable seats—to 12,000 rupees ($130 or more), with thousands of fans shelling out a substantial amount.

They were expecting Messi to make a 45-minute appearance for an exhibition match, but he ended up only making a very disappointing cameo with not a single soccer ball kicked. Along with teammates Luis Suarez and Rodrigo De Paul, the Argentine superstar only appeared for about 20 minutes.

Adding insult to injury, the Argentine was surrounded by a gaggle of local politicians, celebrities, and authorities who descended swarmed the field to take pictures with him, blocking the view of the majority of ticket-buying fans in the stands. Lionel Messi grew “visibly uncomfortable,” per Indian soccer player Lalkamal Bhowmick, as the chaotic crowd pressed in on him, and his security team decided to whisk him out early because of safety concerns.

In the moments that followed, the betrayed crowd erupted in anger. As tempers flared, several spectators tore up the stadium’s fixed seats and threw them onto the field and adjacent track. Supporters scaled perimeter barriers, barged onto the field, and hurled bottles and other debris.

Photos taken at the site revealed significant destruction, with shattered stage pieces, goal nets that had been demolished, and seats that had been trashed, among other things.

The repercussions on institutions and politics were rapid and devastating. Later a police official told reporters that the “chief organizer” of the event had been arrested, without offering further details.

West Bengal’s Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said, “I am deeply disturbed and shocked by the mismanagement witnessed today at Salt Lake stadium,” formally apologizing to Messi and the supporters.

“I sincerely apologize to Lionel Messi, as well as to all sports lovers and his fans, for the unfortunate incident. I am constituting an enquiry committee … the committee will conduct a detailed enquiry into the incident, fix responsibility, and recommend measures to prevent such occurrences in the future.” This disastrous start stands in stark contrast to the tour’s subsequent legs.

Lionel Messi’s arrival in the next Indian city went well

On the same night, while things were going downhill in Kolkata, Lionel Messi’s event in Hyderabad was absolutely rocking. Fans were so enthralled by Messi that it was like the city made up for everything Kolkata had done wrong.

The festivities at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium went off without a hitch. While the adoring crowd cheered, Messi, Suarez, and De Paul kicked footballs and took penalties alongside Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy.

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They also engaged in a passing practice with children. Via a translator, Messi even expressed that “he is delighted to be in Hyderabad, and thanks the crowd for its love.” The much-needed reset for the tour was supplied by the smooth execution and Messi’s obvious engagement.