Angry Indian fans threw chairs and bottles, causing Messi to panic and make an emergency retreat.

(Dan Tri Newspaper) - A long-awaited appearance by Lionel Messi in India turned into chaos when unruly fans threw chairs and bottles onto the stadium pitch.

Angry Indian fans threw chairs and bottles, causing Messi to panic and make an emergency retreat.

According to footage from the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata, just minutes after Messi appeared, the atmosphere in the stadium, filled with tens of thousands of spectators, quickly became tense. Thousands of angry fans stormed onto the pitch, forcing security forces to intervene.

Messi waves to Indian fans (Photo: AFP).

The Inter Miami star had only been on the pitch for less than five minutes when the incident began. Messi was seen with his close teammates Luis Suarez and Rodrigo De Paul, surrounded by officials and a heavy security detail.

During his GOAT Tour India 2025, Messi only made a short walk around the pitch, waving to the fans before frantically leaving the field as water bottles were thrown from the stands.

Indian fans stormed onto the pitch, causing chaos (Photo: AFP).

Numerous videos circulating on social media show fans booing officials and politicians , vandalizing stadium facilities, and clashing with security forces. The organizers faced heavy criticism for poor crowd control, prioritizing VIP areas while thousands of ticketed spectators were unable to see Messi.

Speaking to the media, Nabin Chatterjee (37 years old) expressed his frustration: "Watching Messi play is a joy, a dream of mine. But I missed the opportunity because of poor management on the field."

Over 80,000 tickets for the event, many of which were reportedly priced at over $100 (2.6 million VND), sold out in just minutes, demonstrating Messi's immense popularity in India.

Fans threw chairs from the stands onto the pitch in protest (Photo: Getty).

Another fan expressed extreme disappointment when speaking to local media: “This was a terrible event. He only appeared for about 10 minutes. All the executives surrounded Messi, and we couldn’t see anything. So much money, emotion, and time wasted.”

Speaking to the PTI news agency, Ajay Shah said that many people had spent "a whole month's salary" to buy tickets to see Messi. "I spent $55 on a ticket and brought my son here to see Messi, not to see politicians. The police and military were busy taking selfies, and the organizers are responsible for that," he said.

When the situation spiraled out of control, police were deployed to restore order. Many seats were damaged, banners were torn, and trash littered the walkways throughout the stadium.

Shortly afterward, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee issued a public apology, calling what had happened "extremely disturbing" and announcing a formal investigation.

On Twitter, Banerjee wrote: “I am extremely upset and shocked by the poor organization at Salt Lake Stadium today. I was on my way to the stadium to attend the event along with thousands of sports fans who came to see Messi.”

She emphasized: "I sincerely apologize to Messi, as well as to all sports lovers and his fans, for this unfortunate incident."

The chaos overshadowed what was expected to be a very special day for Messi in Kolkata. Earlier, he had participated in the online unveiling of a 21-meter-tall statue depicting Messi lifting the World Cup trophy at the Sree Bhumi Sporting Club in Lake Town (South Dum Dum). The Argentinian star only managed to send a brief thank you message to his fans: "muchas gracias" (thank you very much).

They smashed many chairs and pieces of furniture, creating a chaotic scene (Photo: Getty).

Messi arrived in India on December 13th for a three-day visit. This marks his first appearance in the country since playing an international friendly in Kolkata in 2011. He is expected to visit four cities before leaving India on December 15th, with Hyderabad being his next stop. He is also likely to meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

This week, Messi won the MLS Player of the Week award for the second consecutive time after helping Inter Miami win the league and lead the scoring charts. The former Barcelona and PSG star is expected to be the driving force behind Argentina's World Cup title defense at the tournament taking place in June in the USA, Canada, and Mexico.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/cdv-an-do-noi-gian-nem-ghe-chai-lo-khien-messi-hot-hoang-rut-lui-khan-cap-20251214110422782.htm