Lionel Messi’s ‘GOAT Tour to India 2025’ Adds Hyderabad After Kochi Match Postponement

Football fans in South India can breathe a sigh of relief as Lionel Messi’s much-anticipated “GOAT Tour to India 2025” will now include Hyderabad as the new southern stop. The addition comes after the postponement of Argentina’s friendly match in Kochi (Kerala), which had been originally scheduled for November 17 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.

The Kochi fixture, officially confirmed by Kerala’s Sports Minister V. Abdurahiman earlier this year, was postponed to the next FIFA international match window (expected around March 2026) due to delays in securing formal FIFA clearance — the world body’s mandatory approval for international friendlies.

Hyderabad Added as the Southern Leg of the Tour

Organiser Satadru Dutta, the sole promoter of the “GOAT Tour to India 2025,” said Hyderabad was chosen “so that the fans of South India are not deprived” after the Kochi cancellation.

With the inclusion of Hyderabad, the tour now becomes a pan-India spectacle, spanning:

• East – Kolkata,

• South – Hyderabad,

• West – Mumbai, and

• North – New Delhi.

Dutta explained that Hyderabad was selected because of its strong football culture, excellent infrastructure, and accessibility for fans from Kerala, Chennai, and Andhra Pradesh.

“South should also get exposure to Messi. The event will either be held at the Gachibowli Stadium or the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, and bookings will start within a week,” he confirmed.

Revised ‘GOAT Tour to India 2025’ Schedule

The updated itinerary now replaces the earlier Ahmedabad leg with Hyderabad, while its sponsorship event shifts to Mumbai.

Messi’s India Schedule (as per Dutta):

• December 12–13 – Kolkata: Arrival (midnight/early hours); Meet & Greet (9.30 – 10.40 a.m.); GOAT Cup at Salt Lake Stadium (11.30 a.m. – 1.10 p.m.); statue unveiling at Sreebhumi Lake Town; departure to Hyderabad (2.15 p.m.).

• December 13 – Hyderabad: Meet & Greet (5 p.m.); GOAT Cup (7 – 8.45 p.m.) at either Rajiv Gandhi or Gachibowli Stadium.

• December 14 – Mumbai: Meet & Greet (12 noon); Padel GOAT Cup inauguration (Padel = a tennis-style racket sport popular in Latin America and Europe); GOAT Cup at Wankhede Stadium (5.30 p.m.).

• December 15 – New Delhi: Meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and GOAT Cup at Arun Jaitley Stadium (2.15 p.m.).

Dutta revealed that Messi will fly from Miami (USA) to Dubai, rest there briefly, and then reach Kolkata by private jet around midnight of December 12.

What the Hyderabad Event Will Feature

Dutta promised that Hyderabad will not just host a match but a grand celebration.

“It will be an extension of the GOAT Cup — with a celebrity football match, football clinic for kids, felicitation ceremonies, and a musical programme. All the superstars of South India will be present,” he said.

He confirmed that preliminary discussions with local organisers in Hyderabad have gone well and that they have offered “strong support” to make the event “truly spectacular.”

Messi’s Companions and Tour Concept

The GOAT Tour — short for Greatest of All Time — has been conceptualised by Satadru Dutta to bring global football legends to Indian fans. Alongside Lionel Messi, two of his long-time Argentina teammates, Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, have confirmed their participation.

The tour will feature a mix of celebrity matches, musical events, meet-and-greet sessions, and masterclasses for children, making it one of India’s largest football-entertainment festivals ever hosted.

Messi last visited India in 2011 when Argentina played a friendly against Venezuela at Kolkata’s Salt Lake Stadium.

Fan Frenzy and Ticket Sales

Ticket sales have already witnessed a massive response across venues.

• In Mumbai, all 28,000 seats at Wankhede Stadium (priced from ₹6,980) are sold out, according to ticketing portal district.in.

• In Kolkata, the 68,000-capacity Salt Lake Stadium is nearing full occupancy, with tickets starting at ₹4,366.

• In New Delhi, Arun Jaitley Stadium (capacity 28,000) tickets begin at ₹7,670, and sales are also almost complete.

Dutta said the Hyderabad booking portal will go live within a week, expecting an equally enthusiastic turnout.

Kerala Match Postponed, Not Cancelled

Meanwhile, Lionel Messi’s Argentina will not play in India next month as originally planned. The Kerala fixture, slated for November 17 in Kochi, has been postponed to the next FIFA window after discussions between the Argentine Football Association (AFA) and local sponsors Reporter Broadcasting Company.

Company managing director Anto Augustine explained via Facebook that the delay arose from “pending permissions from FIFA.” The announcement followed weeks of uncertainty, with conflicting statements from state authorities and the AFA.

Earlier, Kerala’s Sports Minister V. Abdurahiman had briefly announced that the match was off, before the AFA reconfirmed in August 2025 that Argentina would indeed play in Kochi. However, reports from Buenos Aires later indicated logistical issues, making a November fixture unfeasible. The match is now likely in March 2026, within FIFA’s official schedule.

A Pan-India Football Celebration

Despite the Kerala setback, organisers have turned the challenge into an opportunity by expanding the GOAT Tour to all four regions of the country.

“I wanted to ensure that fans from Kerala, Chennai and Hyderabad do not feel deprived after the Kochi cancellation. Hyderabad was the natural choice — centrally located, passionate, and ready,” said Dutta.

He assured that the Hyderabad leg will “showcase the football spirit of South India” and become “one of the most memorable stops of the tour.”

With Messi, Suárez, and De Paul expected to headline the event, and ticket sales breaking records, the GOAT Tour to India 2025 is set to be the biggest football spectacle ever hosted in the country.