The fallout from Lionel Messi’s brief and controversial visit to Kolkata has intensified into a legal and administrative crisis, with former India cricket captain Sourav Ganguly issuing a 50 crore defamation notice against a football fan club official for allegedly making unfounded claims about his role in the event.
Messi’s much-publicised appearance at the Salt Lake Stadium lasted just 22 minutes, disappointing nearly 50,000 fans who had filled the venue. Ticket prices reportedly ranged from 4,000 to 12,000, with some spectators paying up to 20,000 through unofficial channels. Although Messi arrived to loud applause alongside Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, the atmosphere quickly deteriorated as politicians, VIPs, security personnel, and aides crowded around the football star, limiting fan engagement.
Repeated attempts by organisers to control the situation—including emotional appeals by promoter Satadru Dutta over the public address system—failed to calm the crowd. After Messi exited the venue prematurely, frustration erupted into chaos, with spectators throwing bottles, damaging temporary structures, tearing out seats, and vandalising stadium property. The disorder reportedly continued for nearly 90 minutes.
The controversy deepened when Uttam Saha of the ‘Argentina Football Fan Club’ publicly alleged that Ganguly was the real organiser of Messi’s India tour, claiming that Dutta—now arrested—was only a front. Ganguly strongly denied the allegations, filing a...
The fallout from Lionel Messi’s brief and controversial visit to Kolkata has intensified into a legal and administrative crisis, with former India cricket captain Sourav Ganguly issuing a 50 crore...