Follow TNM’s WhatsApp channel for news updates and story links.
Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy is likely to play a match against football giant Lionel Messi on December 13 at Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Uppal. The match is a part of Messi’s ‘G.O.A.T India Tour 2025”.
“I look forward to welcoming and hosting G.O.A.T. Lionel Messi in #Hyderabad on December 13. It is an exciting moment for our city and for every football fan who has dreamt of seeing a legend like you on our soil. Hyderabad is ready to host him with warmth, pride and the spirit that defines our people,” CM Revanth said.
Hyderabad was added to the G.O.A.T. India tour after Ahmedabad was taken off the list, and it reflects the city’s rapidly growing global profile. The tour will open in Kolkata at the iconic Salt Lake Stadium on the morning of December 13, after which Messi will fly to Hyderabad the same evening for the second leg of celebrations.
According to reports, select students enrolled at government schools will play alongside the Chief Minister.
CM Revanth’s announcement comes nearly three months after the Congress led government announced its sports policy in August 2025. In August, the CM had asked PM Narendra Modi to consider Hyderabad as a location for the 2036 Olympics if India won the bid.
The sports policy asks for the formation of a 14-member Board of Governors to oversee the Telangana Sports Development Fund (TSDF). Featuring some of India’s most respected stakeholders in sports like Kapil Dev, Abhinav Bindra, Pullela Gopichand, Bhaichung Bhutia and Sanjeev Goenka, this board will ensure transparent and accountable utilisation of resources.