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Fans queued up in large numbers outside Delhi's Arun Jaitley Stadium where football icon Lionel Messi is set to be present on Monday as he will cap off his GOAT India Tour with the Indian capital.
Chants of 'Messi, Messi' filled the air while some fans held posters of the Argentine legend as thousands gathered outside the stadium. Messi's Delhi stop on the GOAT India Tour followed his visits to Kolkata, Hyderabad and Mumbai. While his Kolkata outing was marred by chaos, the Hyderabad and Mumbai legs of the tour went by smoothly. A Lionel Messi fan, Saurab Aggarwal, while speaking to ANI outside the Arun Jaitley Stadium, expressed excitement about the prospect of finally seeing him in India after planning the visit for months, saying they have waited nearly a decade since Messi's last visit in 2011. "Very excited to be here. We were planning this day for the last 3-4 months. Messi visited India the last time in 2011; a year later, we started following him. So, we were waiting for this day for a decade. We are really excited to be here...," said the football legend's supporter. "We are very excited. It was a childhood dream of mine. Finally, we are getting the chance to see him. It feels like we are about to see God," said another Messi supporter. Earlier. Messi, along with footballers Luis Suarez and Rodrigo De Paul, dazzled fans at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The event at Wankhede got off to an electric start, with the famous Indian DJ Chetas setting the mood by playing popular tracks alongside vibrant cultural dance performances. This was followed by a friendly football match between the Indian Stars--featuring Tiger Shroff, Jim Sarbh, and players such as Bala Devi--and the Mitra Stars, led by the legendary Indian footballer Sunil Chhetri and his Bengaluru FC teammates. Messi shared a special moment with Chhetri and delighted fans by kicking footballs into the stands. He also presented Chhetri with a signed Argentina jersey and was later felicitated by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who gifted him a memento. The event ended on a historic note when the former Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar presented Messi with a Team India jersey, followed by memorable photographs featuring Tendulkar, Fadnavis, Messi and his teammates. (ANI)
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