Kolkata: What was anticipated to be a momentous event for Kolkata’s football fans quickly descended into chaos at the Salt Lake Stadium (Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan) as Lionel Messi’s brief appearance on Saturday left thousands of spectators outraged.

Fans, some of whom paid up to ₹14,000 for tickets, failed to catch even a glimpse of the global icon, who was swiftly surrounded by politicians, dignitaries, and security personnel. The frustration turned violent as bottles and chairs were hurled, and stadium infrastructure was vandalised, forcing the riot control police (RAF) to intervene and Messi’s planned lap of honor to be cut short.

The incident caused immense embarrassment for the West Bengal government. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee issued a public apology to Messi and his fans, ordering an inquiry committee led by a retired judge to fix responsibility for the “mismanagement.” Meanwhile, Trinamool General Secretary Kunal Ghosh publicly declared, “Kolkata was shamed.”

Governor CV Ananda Bose ordered the immediate arrest of the organiser and a full refund of the ticket money. The main organiser, Satadru Dutta, was subsequently arrested. The All India Football Federation (AIFF) later distanced itself, clarifying that the ‘GOAT tour’ was a private PR event and that no clearance had been sought from the federation. Messi was quickly whisked away to the airport for his next stop in Hyderabad.