What was supposed to be a marquee football spectacle turned into widespread violence and disorder at Kolkata’s Salt Lake Stadium as thousands of fans gathered to see Argentine football legend Lionel Messi during his GOAT India tour

Messi’s brief and tightly ring-fenced appearance left large sections of the crowd frustrated as they failed to catch a glimpse of their superstar despite having paid hefty sums for tickets. The chaos forced security to rush Messi off the pitch early, cutting short his lap of honour and leaving the 80,000-strong crowd feeling cheated on what was billed as a historic return 14 years in the making.

Put off by poor event management, some fans reportedly threw bottles and chairs from the stands in frustration. The crowd had high expectations, but many were left dis

See Full Page