Kolkata: What was meant to be a historic celebration of football’s greatest icon turned into a day of chaos and outrage at Kolkata’s Yuva Bharati Stadium on Saturday, as thousands of fans who paid heavily to see Lionel Messi were left furious after the Argentine superstar’s visit lasted barely 22 minutes.

The disorder that followed shocked the sporting community and quickly escalated into a political controversy in West Bengal, with Opposition parties launching sharp attacks on Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress government over alleged mismanagement, VIP culture and profiteering.

Messi arrived in Kolkata at 2.26 am on Saturday, marking his first visit to India since 2011. His arrival generated massive excitement, with thousands of fans gathering outside the Salt Lake Sta

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