Delhi, Dec 15 – Lionel Messi is set to arrive in Delhi around 2:00 pm today, marking the final leg of his G.O.A.T India Tour 2025. The concluding public event will be held at Arun Jaitley Stadium (Feroz Shah Kotla Ground) from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm, featuring a welcome ceremony, musical performances, and a celebrity football match.
Though a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not take place, Messi is scheduled to attend private meetings with senior officials, including the Chief Justice of India and the Chief of Army Staff, at MP Praful Patel’s residence. He is also expected to meet the Argentine Ambassador to India.
Spectators are advised to be seated by 2:30 pm, with the celebrity match scheduled around 3:30 pm. Thirty young footballers from Minerva Academy will participate, and Indian cricketers will present gifts to Messi, who will hand over signed jerseys in return.
Additionally, an Adidas-hosted event is scheduled at Purana Qila, with Indian sports stars Rohit Sharma, Nikhat Zareen, Sumit Antil, and possibly Virat Kohli attending.
Messi is expected to depart Delhi around 8:00 pm, concluding his maiden multi-city India tour that included the successful Mumbai leg, where he met Inter Miami and Argentina teammates Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, along with Bollywood and sports icons such as Sachin Tendulkar, Sunil Chhetri, Harbhajan Singh, Tiger Shroff, and Kareena Kapoor Khan.
Travel Advisory: The Delhi Traffic Police has issued a travel advisory, warning of slow-moving traffic near Arun Jaitley Stadium between 1:00 pm and 4:00 pm. Commuters are advised to avoid JLN Marg, Asaf Ali Road, and Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg due to heavy spectator movement.