‘Who broke the promise?’ Sunil Gavaskar questions Messi’s role in Kolkata fiasco

The tour began on December 13 at Kolkata’s Yuva Bharati Krirangan (Salt Lake Stadium), where thousands of fans were left enraged after failing to get a proper glimpse of the football superstar.

The situation spiralled out of control as chairs and bottles were thrown and parts of the stadium were vandalised in protest.

Messi’s Kolkata appearance lasted barely 22 minutes, far shorter than the scheduled one hour. Surrounded by politicians, VIPs, security personnel and aides, the Argentine legend was effectively shielded from view, leaving paying spectators frustrated.

While organisers bore the brunt of criticism, former India captain Sunil Gavaskar questioned whether Messi himself should escape scrutiny.

Writing in Sportstar, Gavaskar said the incident was blamed on everyone except the person who may have failed to honour his commitment. “What his agreement was is not public knowledge, but if he was meant to be at the stadium for an hour, then by leaving well before that time and disappointing fans who had paid good money, the real culprit was he and his entourage,” Gavaskar wrote.

He added that there was no apparent security threat and questioned why Messi could not have done something tangible on the field.

“If he was meant to take a penalty kick or walk around the stadium, those surrounding him would automatically have had to move, and the crowd would have seen their hero do what they came to watch,” he noted.

Gavaskar argued that the smooth conduct of the remaining legs suggested that commitments elsewhere were honoured. “Before blaming fellow Indians in Kolkata, it might be worth checking whether commitments on both sides were met,” he wrote.

According to the itinerary, Messi was expected to take a lap of the stadium. However, he was escorted out within 20–22 minutes as the situation became increasingly unmanageable.

Messi arrived at 11.30 am to thunderous applause, stepping out of a white Audi alongside former Barcelona teammate Luis Suárez and Argentina World Cup winner Rodrigo De Paul.

Within minutes, however, a human blockade of VIPs and officials formed around him, ensuring the crowd could barely see him.

Despite repeated public announcements by promoter Satadru Dutta, pleading with dignitaries to vacate the field, the situation deteriorated.

The arrival of more high-profile figures heightened tensions, prompting Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan to abandon plans to attend and forcing Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to change her schedule.

Messi was eventually whisked away well before his scheduled departure time, leaving behind angry fans and a sour start to an otherwise successful Indian tour.