Lionel Messi wrapped up his much-hyped GOAT India Tour 2025 on Tuesday with his departure from Jamnagar, following a visit to Vantara, the wildlife rescue and conservation facility. Hosted by Anant Ambani, the Jamnagar stop marked the final chapter of Messi’s India visit, which generated enormous excitement and fanfare across the country.
The Argentine superstar’s journey through India covered four major cities – Kolkata, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Delhi, each drawing massive crowds eager to catch a glimpse of the World Cup winner. The tour’s closing spectacle took place in the national capital, where a grand on-field programme at the Arun Jaitley Stadium brought the celebrations to a memorable end amid roaring applause from fans, reported The Times of India.
Messi reached Delhi on December 15 after concluding his Mumbai engagements, accompanied by former Barcelona teammates Luis Suarez and Rodrigo De Paul. A key attraction of the Delhi leg was a celebrity football match featuring the Minerva Messi All Stars against the Celebrity Messi All Stars, which served as a centrepiece of the event.
Following the match, Messi briefly joined players from both teams on the pitch and interacted with young footballers, sharing light-hearted moments and exchanging passes with Suarez and De Paul, an experience that left budding talents visibly thrilled.
The Delhi celebrations concluded with a formal ceremony attended by Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and a host of distinguished guests, including ICC chairman Jay Shah, DDCA president Rohan Jaitley and former India football captain Bhaichung Bhutia. During the event, Jay Shah presented specially designed Indian cricket jerseys to Messi, Suarez and De Paul, while Messi was also gifted a commemorative cricket bat signed by iconic Indian cricketers.
Earlier during the tour, Messi made an appearance at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium, where he met Indian football stalwart Sunil Chhetri and cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar. In Hyderabad, he featured in a 7-a-side exhibition match at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium and interacted with Chief Minister Revanth Reddy as well as Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi.
Although the tour kicked off in Kolkata amid some criticism from fans over pitch-side overcrowding that restricted views, the GOAT India Tour 2025 ultimately stood out as a historic occasion for Indian football enthusiasts, one that delivered unforgettable moments and underscored Messi’s global appeal.
