Lionel Messi Paid ₹89 Crore for India Tour, Organiser Tells Investigators; Event Cost Touched ₹100 Crore

Kolkata, December 21: Fresh details have emerged about the finances behind football superstar Lionel Messi’s recent India visit, with the main organiser of the Kolkata event revealing that the Argentine legend was paid ₹89 crore for the tour. The disclosure was made during questioning by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the chaos and alleged mismanagement at the event held in Kolkata on December 13. According to sources cited by PTI, Satadru Dutta, the primary organiser of the Kolkata leg of the ‘G.O.A.T. India Tour 2025’, told investigators that the total expenditure for Messi’s visit stood at ₹100 crore. Out of this amount, ₹89 crore was paid directly to Messi, while ₹11 crore was paid as tax to the Indian government. Dutta, who was arrested soon after the event, reportedly explained that the funds for the tour came from multiple sources. Around 30 per cent of the total cost was covered by sponsors, while another 30 per cent was generated through ticket sales. Thousands of fans had purchased high-priced tickets to watch the football icon at the Salt Lake Stadium, making the event one of the most expensive sporting appearances ever organised in the country. However, what was meant to be a grand celebration of Messi’s visit quickly turned chaotic. A large number of people crowded around the footballer on the field, leaving him barely visible to spectators seated in the galleries. This led to anger among fans, some of whom allegedly vandalised parts of the stadium after the programme. Videos of the disorder later went viral on social media, drawing widespread criticism. In the aftermath, the West Bengal Police constituted a Special Investigation Team comprising senior IPS officers Piyush Pandey, Javed Shamim, Supratim Sarkar and Muralidhar. The SIT is investigating the vandalism, possible security lapses, access violations, and the role of organisers and officials involved in managing the event. During questioning, Dutta reportedly claimed that the crowd control plan collapsed after the arrival of a “very influential person” at the stadium. He told investigators that initially only 150 ground passes were issued for the event. However, the number allegedly tripled once this influential person arrived and overpowered the organisers’ arrangements, leading to uncontrolled access to the ground area. An SIT official told PTI that Dutta said the entire flow chart of the programme was disturbed after this intervention, making it impossible for him to manage the crowd. Police are now examining whether the sudden increase in ground access directly contributed to the breakdown of security and crowd management. Dutta also shared details about Messi’s security requirements. He reportedly told investigators that Messi does not like being touched or hugged and that this concern had been clearly communicated in advance by the foreign security officials responsible for the footballer’s protection. Despite repeated public announcements asking the crowd to maintain distance, there was little effect. According to Dutta, the manner in which Messi was surrounded and physically embraced during the programme was completely unacceptable to the World Cup-winning footballer. Visuals from the event showed West Bengal Sports Minister Aroop Biswas standing close to Messi throughout the programme, including moments where he appeared to hold the footballer around the waist while posing for photographs. Biswas has since faced allegations of using his influence to allow relatives and personal acquaintances access to Messi on the field. Amid growing criticism and questions over security lapses, the minister resigned from his post, pending the completion of the investigation. Investigators are now focusing on how such a large number of people managed to gain entry to the restricted ground area and whether protocol violations occurred. The SIT is expected to question more organisers and officials in the coming days as it pieces together the sequence of events that led to the disruption. The revelations about the massive cost of Messi’s India tour and the alleged mismanagement have sparked debate over accountability, crowd safety and the handling of high-profile international events in the country. Lionel Messi Paid ₹89 Crore for India Tour, Organiser Tells Investigators; Event Cost Touched ₹100 Crore Fresh details have surfaced about Lionel Messi’s high-profile visit to India, revealing the massive cost behind the much-talked-about tour. According to information shared with investigators, Argentine football legend Lionel Messi was paid ₹89 crore for his India tour, while ₹11 crore was paid as tax to the Indian government, taking the total expenditure to ₹100 crore. The details were disclosed by Satadru Dutta, the main organiser of the Kolkata leg of the ‘G.O.A.T. India Tour 2025’, during questioning by a Special Investigation Team. The event was held at Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata on December 13 but soon turned chaotic due to crowd mismanagement. Investigators were told that around 30 per cent of the total cost was covered through sponsors, while another 30 per cent came from ticket sales. Thousands of fans had bought expensive tickets to catch a glimpse of Messi, making expectations extremely high. However, the programme quickly spiralled out of control as a large number of people crowded around Messi on the field, making him barely visible to fans in the stands. The situation led to frustration among spectators, and parts of the stadium were later vandalised. Following the incident, the West Bengal Police formed an SIT to probe vandalism, security lapses, access violations and the role of organisers and officials. Dutta reportedly claimed that initially only 150 ground passes were issued, but the number tripled after the arrival of a “very influential person,” which disrupted the entire plan and made crowd control impossible. Police are now examining whether this expansion of access directly caused the breakdown in security. Dutta also told investigators that Messi had strict security instructions and disliked being touched or hugged, a concern conveyed in advance by his foreign security team. Despite repeated announcements, the crowd failed to maintain distance. West Bengal Sports Minister Aroop Biswas, who was seen close to Messi during the event, later resigned amid allegations of allowing unauthorised access. The investigation is ongoing.