Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has been training hard to play an exhibition match against football great Lionel Messi on December 13 at Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Uppal, as part of Messi’s “G.O.A.T India Tour 2025.”
Revanth Reddy’s team, called Revanth Reddy 9, will face Lionel Messi 10 on December 13 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. The Chief Minister will wear jersey number 9 while Messi will be in his familiar number 10 shirt. Selected players from government schools are likely to join the RR9 team.
Reddy knows that every move on the field will be watched closely and will likely become fodder for memes and online chatter. This is why he has begun training seriously. After completing his official work each day, he changes into a football jersey and heads for practice. He has much to gain from the spectacle. If Messi dominates the game, Reddy will still have competed against one of the greatest footballers of all time. If he manages to hold his own, it could strengthen his public image and set a new benchmark for chief ministers in India.
Reddy played football in his younger years and has welcomed the chance to return to the sport. The event also fits into his F A S T agenda, which stands for Fit, Assertive, Strategic, Tough. This is the brand he wants to project. The match also aligns with the government’s Telangana Rising 2047 initiative, which encourages children in government schools to take up sport as a serious pursuit and not just a hobby. With this message in mind, Reddy wants to serve as much a representative of the state as Messi.
The Chief Minister trains for 45 minutes every day to prepare himself for the contest. In a post on X, Reddy said he stepped onto the football field with the intention of showcasing the Telangana Rising 2047 vision through sport.
He wrote, “Sporting spirit Telangana’s pride I have begun practising to take part in a football match with world-renowned footballer Messi on the 13th of this month. With the strategic intent of showcasing the ‘Telangana Rising 2047’ vision more strongly to the world from the sporting arena, and with Messi’s support, I personally stepped onto the football field.”
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