Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, will attend a friendly match in Hyderabad between football legend Lionel Messi and Chief Minister Revanth Reddy for the GOAT India Tour.
The match will be played for 15-20 minutes between two teams, Singareni RR9 and Aparna-Messi All Stars, at the RGI Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad.
Reddy, who is also a football enthusiast, will join Messi on the field, news agency PTI reported.
Rahul Gandhi’s visit to Hyderabad has also triggered speculation over his likely meeting with the football legend. The Leader of Opposition will arrive in the city at 4:30 pm and will proceed to the Taj Falaknuma Palace, where Messi has planned to stay.
After watching the game, Gandhi will reportedly leave for Delhi by 10:30 pm.
Security arrangements are in place ahead of the match. Rachakonda Police Commissioner Sudheer Babu told PTI that security would be provided with 3,000 personnel.
Meanwhile, Hyderabad is buzzing with excitement, with posters across the city featuring CM Reddy alongside Messi. Messi is scheduled to conclude his evening with a grand musical extravaganza celebrating Messi’s achievements in world football.
Also read: ‘Deeply disturbed, shocked’: Mamata Banerjee apologises to Messi after Salt Lake fiasco
Messi arrived in Kolkata early on Saturday, where fans cheered him at the airport. However, moments of joy quickly turned into chaos at Kolkata’s Salt Lake Stadium during the event after frustrated fans started throwing bottles and chairs from the stands.
Fans said that they could not get a clear view of Messi despite purchasing expensive tickets.
West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee also apologised for the incident, calling it deeply disturbing and shocking. Banerjee also added that she will constitute a probe committee to conduct a detailed enquiry into the incident.
(With inputs from PTI)
