Argentine football superstar Lionel Messi is set to embark on a three-day tour of India dubbed the GOAT Tour after his latest triumph.
Messi is scheduled to visit cities in the world’s most populous nation with planned stops at Kolkata, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Delhi.
His first stop in India is at Kolkata with the programme set to commence at 5:00 AM [Ghana Time] on Saturday, December 13. Messi will be accompanied on his tour by Inter Miami teammates Luis Suarez and Rodrigo De Paul.
The highlight of the tour is the planned unveiling of a 70 foot statue of the 2022 FIFA World Cup winner in recognition of his greatness.
A 45 man crew assembled the statue over the course of 27 days.
Lionel Messi Photo Courtesy: Fabrizio RomanoCommuters cross promotional posters and veiled statue of Inter Miami’s Argentine forward #10 Lionel Messi, on the eve of his visit, in Kolkata on December 12, 2025. Lionel Messi will unveil a 70-foot statue of himself in India on December 13 as he embarks on a three-day trip of the country that has sparked a fan frenzy. (Photo by Dibyangshu SARKAR / AFP via Getty Images)
A “Hola Messi” fan zone has also been set up to welcome the Argentine and his contingent with the fan zone having replicas of the trophies Messi has won in his career.
A fan admires a model of a FIFA World Cup inside a temporary museum ahead of Lionel Messi’s India tour in Kolkata, India, on December 11, 2025. To make the GOAT feel ‘at home’, Kolkata’s Argentina football fan club recreates Messi’s Miami residence in Salt Lake, Kolkata. The recreated house includes a terrace with statues, terracotta roofs, and life-sized cutouts of Messi’s family. A museum-style gallery displays Messi’s career through replicas of his trophies, including the World Cup. The ceiling holds 896 footballs for each Messi goal, while a 200-meter LED wall shows his highlights. Organizers charge a INR10 entry fee to manage crowds and track visitors. (Photo by Rupak De Chowdhuri/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Messi’s planned visit to India comes after he led Inter Miami to win the club’s first ever MLS Cup while winning the MLS Top Scorer Award and the League’s Most Valuable Player Award.
A veiled statue of Inter Miami’s Argentine forward #10 Lionel Messi is seen on the eve of his visit, in Kolkata on December 12, 2025. Lionel Messi will unveil a 70-foot statue of himself in India on December 13 as he embarks on a three-day trip of the country that has sparked a fan frenzy. (Photo by Dibyangshu SARKAR / AFP via Getty Images)
