How Lionel Messi was convinced to visit India for exhibition tour: Ronaldinho, Emiliano Martinez, and Durga Puja statue

In one of the most eagerly-anticipated moments of the year for Indian football fans, four cities across the country will get the chance to welcome Lionel Messi to their homes this winter. There are no two ways about it: when it comes to sport, Messi is a god-like figure, with nobody inspiring quite as much awe as the little Argentinian. Lionel Messi in action during a recent match for Argentina.(REUTERS)

So how is it that he was convinced to visit India for a taxing four city tour in the twilight of his career, 14 years on from the first time he visited? Kolkata-based sports promoter Satadru Dutta, responsible for this set of exhibitions, had a fairly simple reasoning: getting good reviews of India into the ears of Leo Messi.

Messi’s teammates Emiliano Martinez, who helped lift the 2022 FIFA World Cup for Argentina, and Brazilian football legend Ronaldinho had both arrived in India last year for similar events organised by Dutta. As per the promoter, asking them to get a word in edgeways with Messi was the only way.

“The football world is a small circle. When I got Emi Martinez and Ronaldinho to Kolkata, I told them that I am trying to bring Messi to India and your review will matter,” he explained to the Indian Express.

“If you can give a good review to his team and even Messi himself, it will help. Touchwood, I executed it in a neat and clean way, they gave a very good review to Messi,” he continued.

How nostalgia and a Durga Puja statue helped convince Messi

The good news for Dutta was that Messi agreed, even if not immediately, but that the deal was cut thanks to the help of Messi’s former teammates. Dutta revealed that a chat with Messi in 2024 led to the decision that within that year would not be possible, but it would be on Messi’s agenda for the future

“I just said if it would be possible over the next one or two years, he said ‘I love the idea’,” Dutta continued. He further revealed that a couple of flourishes helped seal the deal, such as showing Messi videos of his last time in India in 2011, which happened to be the first of many times he wore the skipper’s armband for the Albiceleste, as well as a picture of a Messi statue that was installed on a Durga Puja pandal in a football-crazed Kolkata.

Messi will first be flying to Kolkata, the first stop on a four-city tour also including Ahmedabad, New Delhi, and Mumbai. The multi-city model for the tour would be tougher to organise, but also essential for it to be lucrative, said Dutta: “If it is not multiple cities, it won’t be financially viable.”

The Argentinian megastar is expected to take part in several functions, meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and also participate in seven-a-side games from legendary Indian athletes to Bollywood celebrities — and potentially even try his hand at cricket alongside some modern-day Indian greats, if reports are to be believed.

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