Lionel Messi's India tour gets final seal of approval, first stop is Kolkata
Kolkata, Aug 15 (PTI): Lionel Messi's much-anticipated visit to India has received its final seal of approval with the Argentine superstar set to kick off his three-city tour in Kolkata on December 12, promoter of the event Satadru Dutta said on Friday.
As earlier reported by PTI, the football-mad city of Kolkata will be the first stop in Messi's whirlwind trip named 'GOAT Tour of India 2025', followed by Ahmedabad, Mumbai and New Delhi.
The visit will conclude after a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his residence on December 15.
This will be the Argentine great's first trip to India since 2011 when he visited the country with his national to play a FIFA friendly against Venezuela at the Salt Lake Stadium here.
"I got the authorisation and afterwards made it official (on social media). Messi will post any day between August 28 and September 1 with the official poster with all details and a small introduction of his tour," Dutta told PTI, confirming his visit.
Dutta met Messi's father earlier this year to present the proposal, and on February 28, Messi himself met him at his residence for a 45-minute discussion.
"I explained the plan and what we wanted to do. He seemed convinced it was worth it and committed to coming," Dutta said.
Messi's entourage may also include Inter Miami teammates Rodrigo De Paul, Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets among others but Dutta refused to divulge any name.
Messi's visit will feature masterclass with children in each city, aimed at inspiring the next generation of Indian footballers.
He will land in Kolkata on the night of December 12 and spend two days and one night in his longest stop on the tour.
His December 13 schedule begins with a meet-and-greet in the morning, which will also feature a special food and tea festival.
"He's a lover of mate (Argentine herbal tea), so I am doing a fusion of Argentine and Indian Assam tea. This will be an extra addition, to be held on the sidelines of the meet-and-greet event on December 13 morning at his hotel (Taj Bengal).
"All Bengali fish, including hilsa, and sweet delicacies will be there on the platter for the food festival," Dutta revealed.
The day's highlight will be the unveiling of Messi's statue, followed by the 'GOAT Concert' and 'GOAT Cup' at either Eden Gardens or Salt Lake Stadium.
Another addition of the tour is the unveiling of his mural during the upcoming Durga Puja where fans can "post messages and draw something."
"Not only will he unveil his biggest-ever statue, we will have a huge mural (dimensions of 25 feet height and 20 feet width) for him, which will be kept at strategic Durga Puja pandal-hopping locations so that all his fans will have an opportunity to paint and post messages in a nearby message box. That mural will be presented to Messi when he's inside the stadium for the GOAT Concert," Dutta said.
He added that two-three possible mural locations have been shortlisted and awaits police clearance.
Salt Lake Stadium is also under consideration as a backup venue for the Kolkata concert which is originally planned at Eden Gardens.
"We have pencilled in both venues, and the final confirmation will come within 15 days," Dutta said.
The GOAT Cup at Eden Gardens will be a celebratory seven-a-side soft-touch football match, with Messi teaming up alongside Sourav Ganguly, Leander Paes, John Abraham and Bhaichung Bhutia.
Organisers expect a sell-out crowd, with tickets likely to start from Rs 3,500. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is expected to felicitate Messi during the programme. Security will be the top priority, he said.
"The Kolkata Police Commissioner made it clear that I'm responsible for the arrangements and ensure that there are no security lapses. Messi's team is also particular about this. It's not just for him, but for every fan attending. He wants everyone to go with a happy memory and without any untoward incident," Dutta stressed.
Ahmedabad, Mumbai and Delhi legs
On the evening of December 13, Messi will travel to Ahmedabad for a private event hosted by the Adani Foundation.
The Mumbai leg on December 14 will feature a meet-and-greet at CCI Brabourne followed by the GOAT Concert and GOAT Cup at the Wankhede Stadium.
The new addition will be the Mumbai Padel GOAT Cup at the CCI, Brabourne.
"Messi, being a great fan of the racket sport (typically played in an enclosed arena), will play padel along with celebrities at the CCI Brabourne, Mumbai," Dutta said.
Sources said Shah Rukh Khan and Leander Paes are among those expected to participate, with Messi possibly playing for five to 10 minutes.
The Maharashtra Cricket Association is also planning a 'GOAT moment' pairing Messi with Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma in GOAT Captain's moment along with a Bollywood line-up featuring Ranveer Singh, Aamir Khan and Tiger Shroff.
In Delhi on December 15, Messi will meet PM Modi at his residence before attending the GOAT Concert and GOAT Cup at Feroz Shah Kotla.
Sources revealed that the Delhi District Cricket Association is also inviting Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill, who is a big "Messi fan", a day after playing India's third T20I against South Africa in Dharamsala.
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Slain Australia beach shooting suspect native of Hyderabad: T'gana police
Hyderabad/Melbourne (PTI): Sajid Akram, the 50-year-old slain suspect in a mass shooting at a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach in Australia, was an Indian citizen hailing from Hyderabad, Telangana Police revealed on Tuesday.
While he had migrated to Australia 27 years ago, Akram carried an Indian passport. Akram, along with his 24-year-old son Naveed Akram, recently travelled to the Philippines on an Indian passport.
Akram, one of the two suspects in the mass shooting that has left 15 people dead and dozens injured, migrated to Australia in 1998 and had limited contact with his family here since then, the Telangana DGP's office said in a statement.
"Sajid Akram (50) is originally from Hyderabad, India. He completed his B.Com degree in Hyderabad and migrated to Australia in search of employment, approximately 27 years ago, in November 1998," it said.
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He married a European-origin woman before settling permanently in Australia. The couple have one son, Naveed (the second suspect who is in custody at a hospital in Australia) and one daughter, it said.
Naveed and Akram's daughter were born in Australia and are citizens of that country, the statement said.
On Tuesday, Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett described the mass shooting as "a terrorist attack inspired by the Islamic State."
According to Australian authorities, the suspects were a father and son, aged 50 and 24. The older man, who was identified as Sajid Akram, was shot dead.
The Telangana police said Akram visited India on six occasions after migrating to Australia, primarily for family-related reasons such as property matters and to meet his elderly parents.
It is understood that he did not travel to India even at the time of his father's demise, the statement said.
The family members have further expressed no knowledge of his radical mindset or activities, nor of the circumstances that led to his radicalisation, police said.
"The factors that led to the radicalisation of Sajid Akram and his son, Naveed, appear to have no connection with India or any local influence in Telangana," Telangana police said.
Telangana Police further said it has no adverse record against Akram during his stay in India before his departure in 1998.
The state police said it remains committed to cooperating with central agencies and other counterparts, as and when required, and urged the public and media to avoid speculation or attribution without verified facts.
Quoting security sources, Australia's ABC News reported that Akram and Naveed travelled to the Philippines to receive "military-style training".
"Investigators are now examining the Akrams' ties to an international jihadist network, after discovering the pair travelled to Manila in early November," it said, quoting officials briefed on the investigation.
The Philippines Bureau of Immigration confirmed the pair arrived in the Philippines from Australia on November 1, declaring the southern city of Davao - a hotbed for Islamic militants since the 1990s - as their destination, it said.
"They left the country on November 28, 2025, on a connecting flight from Davao to Manila, with Sydney as their final destination," ABC News quoted the Philippines' Bureau of Immigration spokesperson Dana Sandoval as saying.
Sandoval said Akram entered the country on an Indian passport, while his son, Naveed, entered on an Australian passport.
In the Philippines, Undersecretary of the Presidential Communications Office and Press Officer for Malacanang Palace Claire Castro said that the National Security Council (NSC) is currently looking into reports that the father and son duo travelled to the country a month before the attack.
