Lionel Messi of Argentina and teammates celebrate with the FIFA World Cup trophy during the World Champions' celebrations after an international friendly match between Argentina and Curaçao at Estadio Unico Madre de Ciudades on March 28, 2023 in Santiago del Estero, Argentina. (Photo by Daniel Jayo/Getty Images)

Lionel Messi is set to visit India in December 2025, with planned stops in Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, and New Delhi. The Argentine captain's four-city tour will include unveiling a 70-foot statue, participating in 'GOAT Cup' events, conducting masterclasses with children, and meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The arrangements, including booking Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium, have been finalized, though official confirmation from Messi is still pending. "It's been finalized and we are waiting for an official announcement from Messi, maybe on his social media handle anytime soon," a source close to the development told PTI. Lionel Messi's India tour - Kolkata Messi will arrive in Kolkata on December 12 at 10 PM for his longest stop of the tour, staying for two days and one night. His Kolkata itinerary begins on December 13 at 9 AM with a meet-and-greet event, followed by unveiling what organizers claim will be the world's first and tallest statue of the World Cup winner at Lake Town Sribhumi on VIP Road. The GOAT Concert and GOAT Cup will take place at Eden Gardens from noon to 1:30 PM. "I don't want to mislead people. So basically, it will be a celebration of Messi, a master class with Messi. He will play the GOAT Cup in a seven-side soft-ball, soft-touch game with Sourav Ganguly, Leander Paes, John Abraham, Bhaichung Bhutia, among others. It will be a celebration play in respect of Messi," the source explained. The Eden Gardens event will be ticketed, with prices expected to start at Rs 3,500 for the 68,000-capacity stadium. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is expected to felicitate Messi during the Eden Gardens program. Lionel Messi's India tour - Ahmedabad On the evening of December 13, Messi will travel to Ahmedabad for a private event at the Adani Foundation's Shantigram headquarters. Lionel Messi's India tour - Mumbai His Mumbai schedule on December 14 includes a meet-and-greet at CCI at 3:45 PM and the GOAT Concert at Wankhede Stadium at 5:30 PM. "He is not going to play any cricket match in Mumbai. It will be only soft ball and soft touch with him. It will be a celebration of his journey with the presence of Indian celebrities," the source clarified. Plans include an interaction with the Indian football team in Mumbai. "At Mumbai, we have planned an interaction with the Indian football team. Obviously, Sunil Chhetri and the Indian team moment that we have planned in Mumbai as per their respective availabilities," the source said. Lionel Messi's India tour - Delhi The tour concludes in New Delhi on December 15 with a meeting with Prime Minister Modi and a GOAT Concert at the Arun Jaitley Stadium at 2:15 PM. "Messi will be imparting masterclass with kids at every center. The main idea is to celebrate Messi's success, giving a little bit, for instance, 30 to 40 minutes to motivate the young generation of players. So, masterclass and interaction with Messi." The source confirmed there will be no event in Kerala, contrary to earlier reports. This visit marks Messi's return to India after his first appearance in 2011 when he led Argentina in an exhibition match against Venezuela at Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium, which his team won 1-0.

Proposed Itinerary for Lionel Messi's India visit