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Traffic came to a standstill from Hyderabad’s Habsiguda junction to the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Uppal from around 4 pm on Saturday, December 13, as thousands of fans made their way to see international football star Lionel Messi during his GOAT Tour stop in the city.
The Argentine icon arrived in Hyderabad in the evening and reached the stadium at around 7.55 pm. The Hyderabad event stood in sharp contrast to the previous stop of the tour in Kolkata, where fans at the Salt Lake Stadium had expressed anger after what was billed as a two-hour programme ended in just 30 minutes. Disappointed fans were seen hurling bottles and damaging chairs after paying large sums to attend the event. In contrast, the Hyderabad event concluded smoothly without any hassles.
One of the moments that quickly went viral from the Hyderabad stop was Messi playing football alongside Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, a sight that drew considerable amusement on social media.
Fans from abroad also flew in to catch a glimpse of the World Cup winner.
Sampath, a software engineer working in the United States of America, told TNM that he had planned his annual visit to India specifically around Messi’s tour. “This has nothing to do with the government’s initiative. Like many others, I am here just for Messi,” he said.
That sentiment echoed across the stadium. Soumika Reddy, a law student in Hyderabad, said she has been a Messi fan for as long as she can remember. “I have been watching football all my life. One memory that still stands out is the 2018 FIFA World Cup when Argentina lost. I was 15 and cried my eyes out,” she said.
Nandagopal Akkineni and his 14-year-old daughter Shayla travelled from Andhra Pradesh solely to attend the match. “I’m an Arsenal fan, and we’ve been destroyed by Messi many times. But greatness doesn’t change,” he said.
The Arsenal reference cropped up repeatedly among fans, many of whom noted with bemusement that Chief Minister Revanth Reddy wore an Arsenal jersey while playing alongside Messi. Still, some praised the gesture. “It cannot be easy for someone in his mid-50s to step onto the field with a legend like Messi. The fact that he wanted to play is impressive,” Varshini, another attendee, told TNM.
The friendly match between Singareni RR and Aparna–Messi All Stars drew loud cheers from the packed stands. While Chief Minister Revanth Reddy played for Singareni RR and Messi captained the All Stars. The CM’s team won eventually 3-0 but the match was of little consequence to the crowd who were primarily focused on Messi.
Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy had been practising to play football with Messi in the weeks leading up to his visit.
The Opposition BRS and BJP have been critical of Revanth’s preparations. BRS alleged that public funds worth nearly Rs 100 crore have been spent on the event. They have alleged that Revanth spent nearly Rs 5 crore government funds for ‘indulging’ his interest in football and for photo ops making him the centre of attention, instead of supporting sportspersons in the state.