GOAT India Tour : Sunil Gavaskar holds Lionel Messi responsible for Kolkata incident; The truth revealed

After Lionel Messi arrived in India, many controversies were made about his spending in India, questions were raised on social media as well as from politicians and many players. Former Indian cricket captain Sunil Gavaskar has created a new controversy after the Lionel Messi controversy in Kolkata. He said it was unfair to criticize the event organizers and the VIP culture, and that Messi himself was primarily responsible for his failure to live up to his responsibilities.

In a column in Sports Star, Gavaskar shifted the focus to Messi from the mismanagement of the GOAT India Tour 2025 at the Salt Lake Stadium. He pointed out how India was held responsible for Messi’s short stay. Gavaskar highlighted the gap between fans’ expectations and reality.

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Messi is responsible for the Salt Lake incident – ​​Sunil Gavaskar

Gavaskar wrote that in the recent incident at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata, where Argentinian footballer Lionel Messi turned up for much less time than promised, everyone was blamed except the man who did not keep his promise. He further wrote, “People don’t know about his contract, but if he was supposed to be in the stadium for an hour, he and his team are the real culprits for leaving early and disappointing the paying fans. There was no security risk.”

Sunil Gavaskar shares his thoughts on the controversy surrounding Lionel Messi’s visit to Kolkata as part of the GOAT India Tour.

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Debasish Bhaduri #GOATIndiaTour | #LionelMessi pic.twitter.com/8BEB5ORHm2

— Sportstar (@sportstarweb) December 15, 2025

It is worth noting that Argentina’s star footballer Lionel Messi was on a tour of India from December 13 to 16. He first went to Kolkata, where he received a rousing reception at the Salt Lake Stadium. However, fans could not see him as he was surrounded by politicians and VIPs. Furthermore, Messi’s early departure angered the fans.

Angry fans ransacked the stadium and caused chaos. Fans said they had bought expensive tickets to see Messi, but were unable to see him. After Kolkata, he moved to Hyderabad. He then met Prime Minister Modi in Mumbai and Delhi. He then visited Anant Ambani’s Vantara Wildlife Sanctuary in Gujarat.