India prepares to welcome and worship Messi on 3-day tour

India prepares to welcome and worship Messi on 3-day tour

Argentine legend, Lionel Messi, has barely had time to catch his breath after leading Inter Miami to an MLS Cup and yet another MVP trophy, yet he’s already on the road again.

India is rolling out a three-day ‘GOAT Tour’, and the scale of adoration waiting for him would make even Cristiano Ronaldo’s statue-laden fanfare in Madeira look modest.
Messi will be joined by his Miami teammates, Luis Suarez and Rodrigo de Paul, as he unveils a 70-foot statue in Kolkata on Saturday.

In just 27 days, a 45-person crew built what feels like a national monument to an international icon rather than a tribute to a footballer.
The tour kicks off in Kolkata before moving through the major cities of India, featuring Hyderabad, Mumbai, and Delhi.
India has turned Messi into something close to a deity, echoing the way his great rival, Cristiano Ronaldo, has entire plazas, airports, and busts dedicated to him.

The arms race in player worship has officially gone global.
At the ‘Hola Messi’ fan zone, supporters can sit beside a life-sized Messi on a throne, wander hallways dressed with replica trophies, and even peek inside a recreated version of his Miami home, complete with mannequins of Messi and family sitting on a balcony. It’s surreal, but in Kolkata it’s completely sincere.
“He (Lionel Messi) would be surprised to see the arrangements made for him,” said fan Shiladitya Banerjee.

“He would be shocked to see how he is worshipped in Kolkata and across India. I am tearing up but these are happy tears.”
Messi already has a bronze statue in Buenos Aires, unveiled in 2016, and Barcelona president Joan Laporta recently confirmed they are “working on” one at the Nou Camp.

India has simply taken the next step, turning Messi’s visit into something closer to a coronation.