NEW DELHI: All India Football Federation (AIFF) president and BJP leader Kalyan Chaubey on Sunday warned that the disorder and vandalism witnessed during Lionel Messi's event at Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium could have long-lasting consequences, claiming it may tarnish the city's reputation for decades to come.

The opening stop of Messi's four-city GOAT India Tour 2025 spiralled into chaos on Saturday morning, with serious lapses in crowd control and security. The situation worsened as politicians and VIPs jostled around the Argentine superstar in a bid to take selfies, leaving Messi visibly surrounded and uncomfortable.

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Owing to the unruly scenes, Messi - along with his Inter Miami teammates Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul - was forced to cut short the programme, wrapping up the event within 20 minutes before returning to his hotel. The trio later departed for Hyderabad, the second leg of the tour, later that evening.

The truncated event sparked anger among sections of the crowd, with frustrated spectators - many of whom had spent thousands of rupees to attend - vandalising the stadium. The venue was left in disarray, with broken chairs, damaged canopies, and water bottles scattered across the pitch.

Describing the episode as "very unfortunate" for a city long regarded as the Mecca of Indian football, Chaubey said: "When an incident like this happens, it is noticed internationally.

"Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are among the world's greatest footballers and are followed by millions across the globe," he said during a BJP media interaction.

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"Football is played across 211 countries. There is no country in the world where football is not played; even on the smallest islands, football is played. When these two go anywhere, the world media follow them and follow their every move."

Chaubey said the immediate impact was borne by fans who had spent large sums to attend the event, but warned that the long-term consequences could be far more damaging at a time when India is seeking to project itself as a global sporting destination.

"This is not a loss for just one person or any political party; it is a loss for Bengal and for the whole country.

"If today India bids for an international match in West Bengal, this event will act as an impediment. It is not just about today, when the event could not be held properly, its impact will be felt for 50 years in Bengal."

The AIFF president noted that Kolkata has successfully hosted legendary players and major football events in the past, citing visits by icons such as Pele, Diego Maradona, Oliver Kahn and Lothar Matthaus, among others.

"All those programmes were conducted with dignity. What happened at the Salt Lake Stadium yesterday was avoidable. For Bengal and Kolkata, this will be remembered for a long time.

"India is set to host the Commonwealth Games in 2030. Sport is soft power, with football at the top, and this incident has given the country a bad name across 211 football-playing nations,” Chaubey said.

"I think we should have discussed these technical issues. We should have followed the do's and don'ts and the rules so that the programme could have been conducted smoothly, as we have seen in the past.” he said.

With Kolkata serving a reality check, Messi's Saturday evening programme in Hyderabad and the third leg of the tour in Mumbai on Sunday proceeded smoothly and concluded on a positive note.

Messi will wind up his India visit on Monday in New Delhi, where he is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

(With PTI Inputs)