Chaos broke out at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata on Friday as Lionel Messi had to leave the venue shortly after arriving. Poor crowd control and weak security forced officials to act quickly.
Messi reached the stadium as part of the Goat Tour of India 2025. Thousands of fans had already filled the stands to see the Argentine star. Within minutes, the situation turned tense.
Security staff and police failed to manage the crowd. Fans grew restless and angry. Some began throwing water bottles. Others pulled down banners and hoardings. Panic spread across the stadium.
Visuals showed confusion in the stands as security struggled to regain control. The unrest grew fast and raised serious safety concerns.
Officials decided to remove Messi from the venue. He left the stadium around 20 minutes after his arrival.
Local media News 18 reported that Messi was taken to the airport. He is set to fly to Hyderabad, the next stop of his India tour.
Earlier in the day, Messi met Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan and other guests at a closed door event.
