Lionel Messi’s ‘GOAT India Tour’ takes a twist! New venue named after Argentina cancel Kerala friendly | Football News

Lionel Messi’s much-anticipated ‘GOAT Tour to India 2025’ has undergone a major change, with a new venue officially added as the new southern leg of the tour following the cancellation of Argentina’s proposed friendly in Kerala. The decision ensures that fans across the country will get a chance to witness the football icon, as the revised itinerary now spans all four regions — east (Kolkata), south (Hyderabad – newly added), west (Mumbai) and north (New Delhi). “Now we are covering south also. This will be a tribute to millions of football fans in South India,” Satadru Dutta, the sole organiser of the ‘GOAT Tour to India 2025’, told PTI. The Kochi leg, initially planned for November 17, was cancelled after delays in obtaining necessary clearances. To compensate, Hyderabad was chosen as the new venue so that southern fans are not left out. “I wanted to make it a pan-India event and now that the Kerala event is cancelled, south people are getting deprived to see Messi,” Dutta told PTI, confirming that the Hyderabad event will take place either at the Gachibowli or Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. According to the organiser, the Hyderabad leg will be “an extension of GOAT Cup” featuring a celebrity match, football clinic, musical programme, and a felicitation ceremony, making it one of the grandest stops of the tour.

The tour, which marks Messi’s return to India after 14 years, will also feature Luis Suarez and Rodrigo De Paul. The Argentine legend will start his tour in Kolkata and conclude it in New Delhi, where he is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi.Revised Itinerary