Hyderabad, Dec 14 (V7N) — After the chaotic scenes during the first leg of his India tour in Kolkata, Argentine football legend Lionel Messi experienced a strikingly different reception in Hyderabad, where his presence turned into a celebration of football amid tight security and smooth arrangements.

Messi, accompanied by Inter Miami teammates Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, arrived in Hyderabad on Saturday evening as part of the ‘Got India Tour’. Unlike Kolkata, where overcrowding and disorder marred the event, the atmosphere at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium was calm, organized and festive.

Messi and De Paul were visibly impressed by the arrangements. During his brief time on the field, the Argentine superstar thrilled fans by sending the ball into the gallery several times with his trademark left foot. He waved to the crowd, exchanged smiles and acknowledged the roaring applause.

An exhibition match was underway at the stadium, in which Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy participated briefly. Messi and Suárez initially watched the match from the VIP gallery before entering the field. Messi later shook hands with players from both teams, signed autographs, posed for photographs and exchanged passes with Revanth Reddy, De Paul and Suárez. The World Cup winner also scored twice and spent time interacting with young footballers.

After the match, Messi presented the trophy to the winning team. In a short speech, he expressed his gratitude, saying he was happy to be in Hyderabad. De Paul described the evening as “special” and thanked the fans for their love, adding that he hoped Argentina could win the World Cup again.

Later, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi joined the event. Messi gifted Argentina’s iconic No. 10 jersey to both Revanth Reddy and Rahul Gandhi before leaving the stadium.

Earlier, Messi’s appearance at Kolkata’s Salt Lake Stadium was overshadowed by chaos. Indian media reported that he remained inside the stadium for only around 20 minutes, while many fans failed to catch a glimpse of him due to the heavy presence of political figures and celebrities. The situation reportedly escalated into vandalism after Messi’s departure.

The incident drew international media attention. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee later expressed regret and ordered an investigation, while entrepreneur Satdru Dutta was detained from the airport in connection with the event.

Following his visits to Kolkata and Hyderabad, Messi’s India tour is set to conclude with stops in Mumbai and Delhi.

END/SMA/AJ