Tonight, Hyderabad witnessed several sporting firsts with its eyes wide open. Football great Lionel Messi, his companions Rodrigo Javier De Paul and Luis Suarez, their light-hearted footballing action, their brief but charming Spanish remarks…together created a truly world-class experience. As the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium roared “Messi, Messi,” a visibly calm Messi took a lap of the ground, waving to the crowd and kicking footballs into the stands.
The second leg of the GOAT Tour in Hyderabad on Saturday was planned and executed with textbook precision. The chaos witnessed in Kolkata appeared to have sharpened Hyderabad’s preparedness. In Kolkata this morning, fans created a ruckus as they couldn’t get a proper glimpse of Messi, who remained surrounded by celebrities and security personnel throughout his tour. He was present at the Salt Lake Stadium for barely 20 minutes and could not take the scheduled full stadium lap to greet the audience due to the disorder. The organisers were arrested and the All India Football Federation (AIFF) distanced itself from the tour following the chaos.
Hyderabad presented a complete contrast. The event remained peaceful throughout, crowds were well-managed, and the programme progressed smoothly. After arriving in Hyderabad at 6 pm, Messi and his entourage were received by Chief Minister Revanth Reddy at the historic Taj Falaknuma Palace, a Nizam-era monument built entirely of Italian marble and stained-glass windows.
Under tight security, they reached the stadium around 7.30 pm. For the Hyderabad leg of the tour, the Telangana government has built a strong anticipation around a “friendly football match” between the teams of the Chief Minister and the football legend. The visuals of 56-year-old Revanth Reddy practising with various city teams in football gear for “Messi’s match” were widely circulated in the media, generating considerable buzz. The attraction was so great that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi suddenly joined the event. Both Rahul and Revanth underplayed themselves, demonstrating their respect for the greats.
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Only on Saturday evening was it disclosed that the match would be between Revanth Reddy 9 (RR9) and the Aparna-Messi All Stars (AM All Stars), and that Messi would not be playing. It was also announced that the contest would be decided by a five-goal penalty shoot-out. When Messi and his teammates arrived in casual attire, it became evident they would not participate in the shoot-out. This, however, did little to dampen the mood. The crowd, both in the stadium and watching live, was happy to catch a glimpse of the stars, who appeared completely relaxed and jubilant.
RR9, which scored four goals, including one by the Chief Minister himself, won the match by converting the first three penalties in the shoot-out. After the game, Messi, De Paul and Suarez took part in four football clinics for children and posed for photographs with them. They later took a lap of the stadium, with the Chief Minister accompanying them from a short distance. The evening concluded with Messi presenting the “GOAT Cup” to the RR9 team.
The sight of the stars interacting with children and young footballers was well appreciated. Messi, in particular, encouraged children to stand closer to him while they were posing for pictures. The event left behind several heart-warming memories for Hyderabad. One such moment came when Messi agreed to a young boy’s request to sign his football. When Messi was signing, the child eagerly turned the ball and pointed to a specific spot for the autograph. Smiling, Messi followed the cue and signed the ball exactly where the boy had indicated.