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The controversy surrounding Lionel Messi's GOAT India Tour-Kolkata Edition took a fresh turn on Wednesday after reports emerged that the Argentine superstar's team had sent an e-mail to the Bidhannagar Commissionerate, allegedly highlighting major security and protocol lapses during the event held in Kolkata last year.
The communication from Messi's team stated that the event organiser, Satadru Dutta, who organised the GOAT India Tour, was not responsible for the chaos that unfolded during the Kolkata leg of the tour and that the situation was beyond his control. The reported e-mail allegedly blamed former West Bengal Sports Minister Aroop Biswas for interfering with the event without authorisation and cited multiple breaches of protocol. The development comes months after the Kolkata leg of the GOAT India Tour, held at Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan on December 13, 2025, descended into controversy amid allegations of poor crowd management and security failures. The situation reportedly forced Messi to leave the venue earlier than planned, leaving many fans disappointed despite having spent significant amounts on tickets and access packages. Messi was accompanied during the India tour by fellow footballers Rodrigo De Paul and Luis Suarez, and the members of the entourage felt uncomfortable amid the crowding and security concerns at the venue. The reported e-mail has triggered fresh political reactions in West Bengal. Union Minister of State Sukanta Majumdar told the media, "Everybody knows that the Minister was involved, Swarup Biswas (brother of Aroop Biswas) was involved. He was roaming around as if he wanted to; he would have taken Messi to his home for breakfast." Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Rahul Sinha also targeted the former minister and said, "Aroop Biswas is responsible for the Messi fiasco. At that time, Mamata Banerjee gave directions to arrest someone else to save Aroop Biswas. She got many people arrested, but the real culprit was Biswas, who is absconding. But how long will he abscond? Today, Messi's team also said that with the letter. So he will not be spared." The latest development comes shortly after Dutta lodged an FIR at Bidhannagar South Police Station against Biswas, alleging extortion, criminal intimidation, abuse of influence and the illegal diversion and sale of complimentary tickets, accreditation cards and close-proximity passes linked to the high-profile event. In his complaint, Dutta alleged that Biswas, who was serving as Sports Minister at the time, repeatedly demanded complimentary tickets, accreditation cards and close-proximity passes and exerted pressure on the organisers. While the Delhi, Mumbai and Hyderabad legs of the GOAT India Tour were conducted successfully, the Kolkata event remained mired in controversy, with angry fans demanding action and refunds after many were unable to see Messi amid the reported disorder inside the stadium. (ANI)
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