Lionel Messi gets GOAT reception at Wankhede Stadium; link-up with Sachin Tendulkar, Sunil Chhetri steals the spotlight
Published on Dec 14, 2025 10:26 pm IST
Messi spent around an hour at Wankhede Stadium, interacting with young footballers, cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar and Indian football icon Sunil Chhetri.
1 / 10
Published on Dec 14, 2025 10:26 pm IST
Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul arrived at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium all smiles, greeted by roaring cheers from the fans packed into the venue.(Anshuman Poyrekar/HT Photo)
2 / 10
Published on Dec 14, 2025 10:26 pm IST
Lionel Messi was continuously cheered by fans as he made his way around Wankhede Stadium, taking time to acknowledge and greet them along the route.(AFP)
3 / 10
Published on Dec 14, 2025 10:26 pm IST
Apart from Lionel Messi, his friends and club teammates Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul were also greeted with huge cheers from fans inside the stadium. (PTI)
4 / 10
Published on Dec 14, 2025 10:26 pm IST
Lionel Messi spent time playing football with young fans in the stadium, creating an unforgettable and magical experience for them.(REUTERS)
5 / 10
Published on Dec 14, 2025 10:26 pm IST
Lionel Messi interacted with young players at Wankhede Stadium, shaking hands, exchanging smiles, and even playing football with them, making it an unforgettable experience for the children and a truly special moment for everyone present. (ANI)
6 / 10
Published on Dec 14, 2025 10:26 pm IST
Batting great Sachin Tendulkar presented Lionel Messi with his iconic number 10 jersey from India's 2011 World Cup triumph at the same venue.(PTI)
7 / 10
Published on Dec 14, 2025 10:26 pm IST
Lionel Messi presented Sunil Chhetri with his signed Argentina jersey, drawing one of the loudest cheers of the night.(PTI)
8 / 10
Published on Dec 14, 2025 10:26 pm IST
Lionel Messi also presented a football to cricket great Sachin Tendulkar after receiving the jersey from him.(PTI)
9 / 10
Published on Dec 14, 2025 10:26 pm IST
Lionel Messi also presented his Argentina jersey to Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis, one of the prominent attendees at the event.(PTI)
10 / 10
Published on Dec 14, 2025 10:26 pm IST
E-Paper
