Argentine footballer Lionel Messi landed in Mumbai today. It is his third pit stop in the four-city tour of India. In Mumbai, Messi is expected to attend the Padel GOAT Cup event at the Cricket Club of India, Brabourne Stadium, before proceeding to the Wankhede Stadium around 5 pm for the GOAT India Tour main event.
Mumbai Police has tightened security arrangements, learning lessons from the chaotic scenes witnessed during his Kolkata appearance. With strict entry restrictions, watchtowers and crowd control measures in place, authorities aim to prevent stampede-like situations and ensure smooth conduct of events at Brabourne Stadium and Wankhede Stadium.
Day 1 of the tour began on a chaotic note yesterday, as Messi’s brief 22-minute appearance at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata laid bare glaring lapses in planning and crowd management.
The Hyderabad leg, however, offered a stark contrast. Messi, accompanied by his former Barcelona teammate Luis Suárez and Argentina World Cup winner Rodrigo De Paul, enjoyed a warm reception in Hyderabad yesterday.
