Lionel Messi to visit India for a friendly cricket match with Virat, Sachin, Dhoni at the Wankhede Stadium

Lionel Messi India’s tour

According to reports, Lionel Messi will visit cities of India to participate in series of events honouring his reputed performance in the field of football. The three cities will be Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai. It’s scheduled to happen from December 13 to December 15. He will be honoured at some of the momentous places celebrating his success. Messi will be welcomed by the chief minister, Mamta Banarjee at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. He has decided to conduct a small, yet crucial workshop for young football enthusiasts, in Kolkata to teach them more about the sport. A seven a side tournament, called GOAT CUP will be organised at the Eden Gardens to honour him.

This is not the first time that Messi has been invited. Earlier this year, in June, Kerala sports minister V Abdurahiman had put forward a news saying that Lionel Messi led Argentina team will come to play football in October or November at the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram. The government decided to take responsibility to make arrangements for the hosts and get in accordance for the schedule. This match was an effort to increase the love for “football” in India. However, the government refused to organise this match leaving fans disappointed. There’s a lot of fandom and craze for cricket and hockey, but not much people love or follow football. The team is not very strong, and players are not even inspired and loved in the same way. This Lionel Messi’s visit will definitely add a dose of motivation and inspire the aspiring footballers to wear their shoes, and take their skills to the next level.

Lionel Messi to play cricket at Wankhede Stadium

The Wankhede Stadium in Maharashtra has been one of the most prominent ones in the country. It has hosted many of the auspicious occasions, one being the 2011 World Cup winning match against Sri Lanka. Lionel Messi’s visit to the stadium will be another historic remark. This time, the crowd will gather there, not to see our usual cricket stars, but the legendary footballer. The stadium will feel a fresh breeze of the sport. There’s lack of provisions and good facilities for particular stadium, like that of football.

Talking in an interview, an MCA official quoted "Yes, Lionel Messi will be visiting the Wankhede Stadium on December 14. The finalisation of logistics is well and truly underway. There are plans for organising a cricket match with some of the biggest names in India. The complete schedule will be made public once there is confirmation on the logistics and schedule,". Ever since this news has been out, fans have fell head over heels as they can’t wait to see this scenery!

Many people believe that top cricket stars like Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni are expected to join Messi at Wankhede, as they reside in Mumbai. The fans can’t control their excitement as this means double thrill, enjoyment and what not at the iconic stadium. The cricketers would also be very happy to meet the star in a related field, but only if the schedule matches with the event timings. This is not the first time that Messi will be visiting India. He has played another friendly match against Venezuela at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata. Talking about his experience, he shared that he felt quite nice after coming to India, and was deeply impressed by the hospitality.

Lionel Messi is not just a name, but a brand. People from across the World are ready to put everything at stake, just to get a glimpse of him. He has done a lot of hard work to reach where he is now and loves his fans. He’s very humble and kind, that makes fans love him even more! Talking about his impressive records, any words will be less to suggest his heroics! He has won 8 Ballon d'ors, 6 European Gold Shoes and was named as the World’s best FIFA player, not once, but 8 times. Messi is the most promising player after he had won 45 team trophies. The 38 year old is currently playing for Inter Miami in Major League scorer, and is expected to play in the 2026 edition of FIFA in the USA. Some other records under his name include most goals in a calendar year, most goals contribution in the FIFA World Cup and most goal contributions in the Copa America. Messi’s glorious career is a proof that hard work always beats talent, and failure is just a part of life. Messi never took any downfall as a failure, but rather another opportunity to rise above the hate and carry on with his work. His story is not the usual one, but one about grit, determination and dedication towards a particular sport.