Workers carry a poster of Lionel Messi in Hyderabad on December 12, 2025. Lionel Messi will unveil a 70-foot statue of himself on December 13, 2025 in Kolkata as he embarks on a three-day tour of the country that has sparked a fan frenzy.
| Photo Credit: AFP
Hyderabad is gearing up to host Lionel Messi’s GOAT Tour of India on Saturday (December 13, 2025). The Argentine legend will make an appearance at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in the evening, where he will feature in a sevens exhibition match, among other things in a packed itinerary.
The exhibition event will have two teams, one led by Messi and the other by Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy.
“Messi will be here by around 7.30 p.m. and will first play an exhibition match. Because of security concerns, Messi and the Chief Minister will only play the last 10 minutes of the match,” a member of the organising committee told the The Hindu.
“We are calling it the GOAT Cup. Messi will give two cups, one for each team, after which both he and the CM will have a penalty shootout.
“Messi will do a football clinic and play with 24 children across the stadium. Sixty per cent of them are underprivileged children from across Telangana.”
There are cultural events planned for the fans, too. “Before Messi’s arrival, some musical events will be there. A few Telugu rappers and Tollywood artists will perform.”
To cap off the night, Messi is set to take part in a parade alongside two other stars — Luis Suarez and Rodrigo De Paul — and will be followed by a felicitation ceremony.
Organisers have restricted permitted capacity for the event to 31,000 to prevent overcrowding at the Uppal Stadium. This precaution also helped the venue pip the Gachibowli Stadium, the city’s traditional football location.
Tickets for the event, only available online, have been priced ranging from ₹2,000 to around ₹75,000 depending on the seating. They will be on sale till midday on Saturday (December 13, 2025).
Published – December 12, 2025 07:28 pm IST
