What was meant to be a celebration turned into confusion and anger for thousands of football fans in Kolkata. People arrived with excitement, tickets in hand, hoping to see Lionel Messi up close. Instead, many left frustrated, asking the same question – what went wrong? Now, cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar has stepped into the conversation, pointing a direct finger at Lionel Messi for the chaos that followed the Argentine star’s visit.
Lionel Messi arrived at Salt Lake Stadium on December 13 along with teammates Luis Suarez and Rodrigo De Paul. The event was advertised as a two-hour fan interaction, raising huge expectations. But the appearance ended far earlier than planned, without any clear explanation. Fans barely got a glimpse of Lionel Messi before he exited the venue and disappointment quickly turned into outrage.
Outside the stadium, tensions escalated. Some supporters turned violent, police intervened and tour organiser Satadru Dutta was arrested. In the days that followed, blame was passed around, with politicians and VIPs accused of crowding Lionel Messi and cutting his time short. Sunil Gavaskar, however, feels the focus has shifted away from where it truly belongs to.
Writing in a sports magazine, the former Indian captain questioned why responsibility was not placed on Lionel Messi and his team. He suggested that if there was a clear agreement on how long Messi would stay and that commitment was not fulfilled, then the fault could not lie elsewhere. According to Sunil Gavaskar, fans paid to see Lionel Messi, not explanations after the fact.
He also dismissed claims that security issues forced the early exit. In his view, there was no serious threat that justified cutting the appearance short. Gavaskar felt that Lionel Messi could have easily interacted with the crowd in simple ways, whether by walking around the ground or taking a penalty kick. Such moments, he argued, would have naturally cleared space around Messi and given fans what they came for.
Sunil Gavaskar also defended the organisers by pointing to Lionel Messi’s appearances in Hyderabad, Mumbai and Delhi, all of which reportedly went smoothly. To him, the difference was simple, commitments were honoured elsewhere.
His final message was clear and pointed. Before blaming local organisers or fans in Kolkata, Sunil Gavaskar urged everyone to first ask whether promises made to the crowd were actually kept.
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