Football legend Lionel Messi arrived in Mumbai around noon on Sunday under what authorities described as “World Cup-level” security, marking the second day of his four-city GOAT India Tour 2025.
The World Cup-winning Argentina captain is scheduled to head to the Taj Colaba for a brief rest before travelling to the Cricket Club of India at Brabourne Stadium. There, he will attend a Padel GOAT Club event before taking part in a celebrity football match later in the afternoon.
Messi, accompanied by Inter Miami teammates Luis Suárez and Rodrigo de Paul, is expected to reach the iconic Wankhede Stadium around 5 pm for the main event of the tour’s Mumbai leg.
In anticipation of massive crowds, Mumbai Police have rolled out tight security arrangements across both venues. Restrictions have been imposed on carrying water bottles, metal objects and coins inside the stadiums, while watchtowers have been erected for enhanced crowd monitoring.
More than 2,000 police personnel have been deployed in and around Brabourne and Wankhede Stadiums to ensure the smooth conduct of events.
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“Considering the chaos witnessed in Kolkata and the security breach there, we have implemented World Cup-level security arrangements at both Brabourne and Wankhede stadiums,” a senior police official said.
Messi had arrived in India in the early hours of Saturday, but the opening leg of the tour in Kolkata was marred by crowd mismanagement and security lapses. In contrast, the Hyderabad leg of the tour concluded smoothly later that evening, offering a sharp contrast to the earlier disruption.
(By PTI Inputs)
