From goals to gaffes: Lionel Messi’s World Cup hat-trick sparks fresh fury over Bengal’s December disaster

Lionel Messi’s magical hat-trick in Argentina's 3-0 match against Algeria on June 17 made him the oldest player to score three times in a single game in the FIFA World Cup, on par with top scorer Miroslav Klose’s 16.

This was celebrated by football fans worldwide, including West Bengal, where the loud screams of jubilant Messi fans could be heard at the time.

June 17 was also the day when football fans lamented the Messi miss on December 13 last year during the Kolkata leg of the GOAT India Tour 2025.

Celebrations were replaced by anger for football fans, as Messi's team wrote a letter to the Bidhan Nagar Police on June 17, citing former sports minister Aroop Biswas’s presence and actions in the field of play, as security lapses.

Unscheduled interactions by unapproved parties went against protocol and “physical contact” with Messi, including “placing hands on his shoulder and around his waist for photographs”.

The letter also mentions how other unauthorised individuals and photographers disrupted the event agreement and created concerns for Messi’s security, comfort, and personal space. Hence, Messi exited 15 minutes after the event started at the Salt Lake stadium.  

The football icon had little opportunity to interact with fans spilling out at the stadium stands, and this missed glimpse still makes Biswas the eye of the storm.

Messi’s team also absolved event organiser Satadru Dutta of any blame. Dutta was arrested soon after the stadium was vandalised by angry fans in December.

As the tables have turned, Dutta’s FIR against Biswas has led to an ongoing investigation against the latter, which includes this letter to the police written by Messi's team. 

On the other hand, Biswas faces backlash over finally appearing for police questioning on Thursday after skipping three summons.

After almost three-and-a-half hours of interrogation, the former sports minister drove around Kolkata for another three hours with journalists following him. The ordeal was not over.

Biswas was spotted at his lawyer Gopal Halder’s chamber at the Alipore court premises later, prompting a section of angry protestors—including a few lawyers—to bang on the chamber doors, waiting to throw eggs at the former minister. Biswas could be seen inside trying to keep calm.

At one point, chamber lights were dimmed and the glass door was covered, though the latter was later broken by protestors, prompting senior lawyers to intervene and pacify crowds waiting outside.

Did it work? Not as effectively as expected, with the police being called in to escort Biswas out of the chamber and take the former sports minister to safety in a police vehicle with netted windows. What happened to the eggs? The police escort was, however, not enough to prevent eggs being thrown from all directions at the former minister while he made his way to the vehicle.

Indeed, Bengal has not forgotten the legendary winter miss, which Messi’s summer hat-trick reminded football fans about.

Football fanatics lost the opportunity to get a glimpse of the global icon kicking a few shots at the Salt Lake stadium in December last year—a major error from Biswas and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) that caused global shame.

In fact, a photograph of Biswas hugging Messi at the waist was indeed not as priceless as he may have wanted it to be: it was a catastrophe waiting to unfold, layer by layer.