Messi meets Rahul Gandhi as football icon dazzles Hyderabad on GOAT India Tour

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi met Argentine football icon Lionel Messi in Hyderabad on Saturday (December 13) during the footballer’s visit for the second leg of his GOAT India Tour 2025. The meeting took place at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, where Messi gifted the Congress MP a signed jersey and shared a brief interaction with him.

Also read | Chaos at Messi's event in Kolkata; organiser detained, CM orders probe

Addressing fans in the city of the Nizams, Messi thanked them for their support, saying, “Thank you all for the love I’ve received today and always.” Reflecting on the warm reception, he added that he had witnessed immense affection even before arriving in India, especially during the last World Cup, and said it was an honour to spend time with fans in the country, for which he was deeply grateful.

Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy was also at the event and, before Rahul Gandhi’s arrival, shared a few casual moments on the ground, kicking the ball with Messi.

Hyderabad delivers flawless show

Messi's programme in Hyderabad was in stark contrast to the mayhem in Kolkata as the second leg of the GOAT India Tour ended on a positive note thanks to thorough preparations, sound planning, and discipline.

The city showed how to pull off an event of this magnitude after Messi's visit to the City of Joy descended into chaos due to poor crowd management and security lapses earlier on Saturday.

The celebrated Argentine footballer mesmerised the Hyderabad crowd at a nearly-packed Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium as he showed off some of the skills that made him one of the greatest ever to play the sport.

Messi arrived in the city around 5:40 pm after a chaotic opening leg of his three-day four-city GOAT Tour 2025 in Kolkata and he was received at the Taj Falaknuma Palace by Chief Minister Revanth Reddy.

Cheerful welcome lifts Messi

Sporting a green colour crew neck half sleeve T-shirt, a black pant and a pair of sport shoes, the World Cup-winning Argentine captain entered the stadium to a deafening cheer of the crowd.

He seemed relaxed all through his one-hour stay at the stadium, in contrast to the anxious and stiff demeanour at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata some hours back.

"I am very happy to be in Hyderabad in the midst of all the love and affection shown by you all," Messi said through a translator while addressing the crowd.

Messi and his Inter Miami team-mates Luiz Saurez and Rodrigo de Paul took part in a GOAT Cup penalty shootout, with Reddy also turning up in football attires, and conducted football clinics with children before leaving the stadium.

Messi’s football magic on display

Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi joined the visiting trio of players and Reddy at the felicitation towards the end of the event, posing for photographs in front of the sponsorship hoardings.

Also read | ‘What is happening?’: Confused Messi cuts short Kolkata appearance

Messi presented the GOAT Cup to the winning team of a 7-a-side exhibition match, Singareni RR 9, which was representing Reddy. The CM presented a memento to Messi while Gandhi gave one to Saurez.

After reaching the stadium, Messi was seen looking around the photos hung at the walls and had conversations with the officials, waved to the crowd from behind a glass barrier in acknowledgment of their adulation.

Later, he showed his immaculate control of the ball to the great delight of the crowd, juggling the ball with his feet as he kicked around the ball with his Saurez and de Paul, as well as Reddy. Messi took a tour of the stadium, waving to the crowd.

Messi will reach Mumbai on Sunday for his third leg of the GOAT Tour 2025. He will wind up his visit on Monday in New Delhi where he will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

(With agency inputs)