The highlight will be the "GOAT Cup," a high-energy seven-a-side soft-touch celebrity football match
Published Nov 28, 2025 | 7:29 PM ⚊ Updated Nov 28, 2025 | 7:29 PM
A huge cutout of Messi erected in a river in Kozhikode, Kerala, during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Synopsis: The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner will have a packed day that begins with an opening event in Kolkata before flying south for an evening spectacle at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Uppal.
Global football icon Lionel Messi has been confirmed to visit Hyderabad on 13 December, as part of his whirlwind “GOAT India Tour-2025.”
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner will have a packed day that begins with an opening event in Kolkata before flying south for an evening spectacle at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Uppal, an eastern Hyderabad neighbourhood.
Messi’s Instagram announcement on Thursday, 27 November, expressing gratitude for Indian fans’ “overwhelming support,” has only amplified the frenzy.
The Argentine’s Hyderabad leg promises a blend of athletic flair, fan interaction, and cultural celebration, transforming the stadium into a festival ground starting at 5:00 pm.
Incidentally, Kerala had been expecting the FIFA World Cup winning Argentina, led by Messi, to play a friendly in Kochi. However, the visit did not materialise.
Reports said Hyderabad wasn’t originally on the tour list, but was included after the Kochi friendly was called off.
The highlight will be the “GOAT Cup,” a high-energy seven-a-side soft-touch celebrity football match kicking off at 7:00 pm and running until 8:45 pm.
In a nod to local flavor, the game pits “Lionel Messi 10” – donning his signature No. 10 jersey – against “Revanth Reddy 9,” featuring Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy himself in the No. 9 jersey, alongside other regional stars.
Revanth Reddy, himself a football aficionado and former player, has been at the forefront of the celebrations, describing Messi’s visit as “an exciting moment for our city and every football fan who has dreamt of seeing a legend like you on our soil.”
In a buoyant X post on Friday, 28 November, Reddy declared, “Hyderabad is ready to host him with warmth, pride, and the spirit of Telangana Rising.”
He had unveiled the official tour poster earlier this month at his Jubilee Hills residence, where organisers gifted him a signed football from Messi’s team – a gesture he called a “proud moment for Telangana.”
Revanth Reddy plans to extend a formal invitation for Messi to become global ambassador for Telangana Rising Initiative during his visit, leveraging his star power to draw investments and spotlight youth sports programmes.
As Hyderabad pulses with anticipation two weeks out, Messi’s arrival stands poised to ignite a football renaissance in the region, blending global glamour with local passion.
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
