The much-anticipated arrival of Lionel Messi in Kolkata on December 13, 2025, as part of his GOAT Tour of India, was meant to be a celebratory milestone for a city renowned as the cradle of Indian football. Thousands of fans, many travelling from distant parts of the country and spending significant sums on tickets ranging from several thousand rupees to premium prices exceeding ₹15,000, gathered at the iconic Salt Lake Stadium expecting a memorable encounter with the Argentine legend. 

Instead, the event descended into chaos: Messi's appearance lasted barely 20 minutes, during which he was encircled by a dense crowd of officials, security personnel, and invited dignitaries, rendering him virtually invisible to the paying spectators in the stands. Frustrated fans, unable to glimpse their idol despite the promises of a prolonged showcase, resorted to vandalism—ripping seats, hurling objects onto the pitch, and causing damage estimated at over ₹2 crore.

This fiasco stands in sharp contrast to the tour's subsequent legs. Mere hours later in Hyderabad, under a Congress-led government, the event proceeded smoothly: Messi participated in a penalty shootout, conducted football clinics with children, and interacted freely with the crowd for nearly an hour, earning enthusiastic applause. Similar success followed in Mumbai and Delhi. 

While the ruling Trinamool Congress in Bengal may attribute the Kolkata debacle to external factors, the seamless execution in another opposition-ruled state underscores a deeper issue: administrative incompetence and a pervasive culture of privilege that prioritised photo opportunities for the powerful over the experience of ordinary fans. Bengal, long celebrated for its unparalleled passion for football, not only disappointed Messi but also betrayed its own sporting legacy, exposing a bankruptcy in governance that treats public events as private fiefdoms.

At the heart of the Kolkata chaos was an unchecked VVIP culture that hijacked what should have been a fan-centric spectacle. From the moment Messi stepped onto the pitch, he was........

© ABP Live