When Messi meets Sachin
A day after the Kolkata fiasco, visiting global football icon Lionel Messi and India's cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar today (14 December) came together at a gala event in Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium.
On his third stop during his four-city GOAT India tour, Messi spent exactly one hour at the stadium, engaging with young football players, Tendulkar, Indian footballer Sunil Chhetri as well as celebrities from the entertainment world.
On the occasion, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also announced the launch of 'Project Mahadeva', which aims to identify and develop young football players across the state.
Tendulkar termed the Argentine football superstar's visit to Mumbai as a "golden moment" for the city and the country.
"I have spent some incredible moments here. As we call it, Mumbai is a city of dreams. And a number of dreams have seen the finish line here on this very venue. And without your support, we would never have seen those golden moments on this ground in 2011," Tendulkar said referring to India's ODI World Cup triumph in which he played a major role.
Tendulkar presented a No. 10 jersey signed by him to Messi. The Argentine World Cup-winning captain reciprocated with a football.
Messi reached Mumbai at around noon today under tight security measures, marking the second day of his four-city 'GOAT India Tour 2025'. He will wind up his visit on Monday in New Delhi where he will meet Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Messi began his India tour in the wee hours of Saturday, but the opening leg of the tour in Kolkata quickly descended into chaos later in the day due to poor crowd management and security lapses.
However, his visit to Hyderabad city last night went off smoothly as he had a meeting with India's top opposition leader Rahul Gandhi and did a lap of honour at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium there.