Besides Messi, Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, too, attended the event in Hyderabad.
Published Dec 13, 2025 | 10:23 PM ⚊ Updated Dec 13, 2025 | 10:23 PM
Lionel Messi and Revanth Reddy at the he Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Uppal, on Saturday, 13 December.
Synopsis: Messi, Suárez and De Paul took part in a short on-field football session, including a kickabout and interaction with spectators. Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, was present at the stadium.
Argentine football legend Lionel Messi, along with Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, participated in a brief exhibition match at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Uppal, on Saturday, 13 December, as Hyderabad hosted the second leg of the GOAT India Tour 2025.
Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy welcomed Messi at the venue, saying, “Messi, welcome to Telangana. Telangana is rising—come and be part of this rise,” before inviting him to address the audience.
Speaking to spectators, Messi thanked fans for their support.
“Hello, everyone. Well, nothing but to extend my thanks for the love I’ve received today and always. The truth is that I’ve seen a lot of things before getting here, throughout this whole time, during the last World Cup, and honestly—thank you so much for all this love. It’s an honour for us to be able to share these days here in India with you, so I’m truly grateful. Thank you so much,” he said.
De Paul also addressed the gathering, saying the evening was memorable for the players and thanking fans for their reception.
Messi, Suárez and De Paul later took part in a short on-field football session, including a kickabout and interaction with spectators. Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, was present at the stadium.
A friendly penalty shootout was organised, during which Chief Minister Revanth Reddy converted a spot-kick. Messi, Suárez and De Paul were present on the sidelines.
The players and the chief minister later walked around the ground, acknowledging spectators. De Paul kicked a ball into the stands, while Messi waved to the crowd.
Messi, Suárez and De Paul also spent time on the field with young players, participating in a one-touch passing drill.
The event included the ‘GOAT Cup’ exhibition match between Singareni RR and Aparna–Messi All Stars.
Revanth Reddy played for Singareni RR, while Messi captained the All Stars. Revanth Reddy scored one goal, while Messi scored twice. Before the match, both teams posed for photographs with the chief minister.
The Hyderabad event followed disruption during the tour’s earlier stop in Kolkata, where crowd management issues at Salt Lake Stadium led to damage to seating and the track after spectators threw bottles and other objects.
Many fans had paid between ₹4,000 and ₹12,000, with some tickets reportedly sold for up to ₹20,000 in the black market.
In Hyderabad, Telangana Police made security and crowd-control arrangements, and the programme concluded without incident.
