Riots Erupt at Kolkata Stadium During Lionel Messi Visit

Riots broke out at the Salt Lake Stadium in the Indian city of Kolkata due to disorder and poor arrangements upon the arrival of world-renowned footballer Lionel Messi.

According to Indian media reports, fans became extremely angry due to the disorder and poor arrangements, which resulted in incidents of vandalism in the stadium.

According to reports, Messi was present in the stadium for a short time, about ten minutes, which caused disappointment among the fans.

A fan, speaking to the media, said that it was a very poorly organized event.

According to him, Messi was surrounded by a crowd of political leaders and ministers, due to which ordinary fans could not even see him.

#WATCH | Kolkata, West Bengal: Angry fans resort to vandalism at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata, alleging poor management of the event.

Star footballer Lionel Messi has left the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata.

A fan of star footballer Lionel Messi said, “Absolutely terrible… pic.twitter.com/TOf2KYeFt9

— ANI (@ANI) December 13, 2025

The fan said that Messi did not even play exhibition football upon his arrival, while the organizers’ claims of Shah Rukh Khan’s arrival also failed to materialize.

Fans expressed deep resentment over the waste of time, money, and emotions.

After the incident, state authorities formally apologized to Lionel Messi and his fans and announced that an inquiry committee was being established to investigate the incident.

This committee will be headed by retired Justice Ashim Kumar Roy, and will also include the Chief Secretary and Additional Chief Secretary (Home and Hill Affairs).

The committee will conduct a thorough investigation into the incident, determine those responsible, and make recommendations to prevent such incidents in the future.

The authorities have once again sincerely apologized to all sports fans.

Police later used force to disperse a crowd that had gathered outside the hotel where Lionel Messi was staying.

According to sources, a large number of fans had gathered outside the hotel to catch a glimpse of Messi, which led to a tense security situation.

Police officials say that minor lathicharge and other measures had to be taken to control the increasing pressure of the crowd and the law and order situation.

According to the administration, this action was necessary due to security concerns.