A Memory for life: Indian fans recall Lionel Messi's India visit

By Rishabh Mookherjee
New Delhi [India], December 22 : A week after Lionel Messi concluded his closely watched visit to India, the buzz surrounding the football legend has begun to fade from public spaces, but for thousands of fans who caught a glimpse of him, the experience remains sharply etched in memory.

Messi's three-day tour from December 13 to 15 took him to Kolkata, Hyderabad, Mumbai and New Delhi, marking his first visit to the country since 2011. The schedule was carefully curated, featuring public appearances, controlled fan interactions and youth-focused engagements. Yet, beyond the formal structure of the events, the visit carried deep emotional significance for supporters who had followed the Argentine icon for years through television screens and digital platforms.

At the New Delhi leg of the tour, 18-year-old twin sisters Twishaa and Tyulip stood among a sea of fans, watching Messi in person for the first time. For them, as with many young followers, their admiration had grown through late-night match broadcasts and online highlights. Seeing him walk into the venue was overwhelming. Twishaa recalled that it took a moment to process the reality of the situation, describing it as unexpectedly emotional. Tyulip, meanwhile, said the collective energy of the crowd left the strongest impression, thousands of people united by a shared sense of excitement and disbelief.
Similar scenes unfolded elsewhere. Fans travelled long distances to attend the events, often knowing that the interaction would be fleeting. Paranshu Kapadia, a football enthusiast from Ahmedabad, made the trip to the capital with his wife to attend Messi's appearance at Arun Jaitley Stadium. He said he went with modest expectations, believing that seeing the footballer in real life, even briefly, would be enough to justify the journey.
The Hyderabad leg of the tour placed emphasis on youth engagement, with Messi spending time with young footballers during light exhibition activities. Coaches and parents noted that the opportunity to witness the global star up close left a lasting impact on aspiring players. In Mumbai, one of the most widely discussed moments was Messi's meeting with Indian sporting icons Sachin Tendulkar and Sunil Chhetri, a crossover that resonated beyond football.
The tour concluded in New Delhi with fan interactions, photographs and autograph signings. While the opening event in Kolkata witnessed crowd pressure due to heavy turnout, the remaining engagements proceeded smoothly.
Days later, fans say what endures is not merely images or videos but the anticipation, effort and emotion tied to a rare moment of proximity with a player who, for most of their lives, had existed only on screens.