Barcelona fans in India get rare chance to see Lionel Messi in person | OneFootball

It has been several years since Lionel Messi left FC Barcelona, but the Argentine star continues to live in the hearts and minds of all Blaugrana fans.

They were thrilled to see him lift another trophy recently as he led Inter Miami to the MLS Cup title. Messi also collected several individual honors, including the Golden Boot as the league’s top scorer, the best player award for the regular season, and the best player award for the playoffs.

He is currently attending the Messi Cup in Miami, a new youth competition featuring eight of the best academies in the world, which further highlights his growing influence off the pitch.

However, the next major event surrounding the forward will take place far from the United States. Lionel Messi is preparing for a highly anticipated tour of India beginning on Friday, December 12.

During this journey, known locally as the GOAT Tour, he will visit Kolkata, Hyderabad, Mumbai, and New Delhi, and excitement across the country is reaching extraordinary levels.

According to SPORT, India is preparing a tribute rarely seen in world football. The main attraction will be a monumental 21-meter fiberglass statue in Kolkata depicting Lionel Messi lifting the World Cup he won in Qatar in 2022.

This enormous sculpture required more than a month of dedicated work and will be placed next to the statue of Diego Maradona, adding even more historical symbolism. Its virtual inauguration will take place at the Salt Lake Stadium, which holds more than 70,000 spectators and is expected to deliver one of the most memorable welcomes of the tour.

The celebrations will not end there. Local organizers are arranging a recreation of Messi’s home in Miami, where the forward will be represented on a throne as part of an exhibition dedicated to his career.

Messi will also appear at the Hyderabad GOAT Cup, a celebrity seven-a-side match scheduled at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. He is additionally expected to take part in a fashion event alongside Luis Suarez and Rodrigo De Paul, bringing together some of his closest football companions.

The tour will conclude with Messi meeting India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a moment that reflects the scale of admiration he inspires across the nation. For Barcelona fans in India, this will be a rare opportunity to see their idol up close and celebrate the legacy of the player many consider the greatest in football history.