Lionel Messi’s 'GOAT Tour' to India: More Than Just a Kickabout, Apparently

Alright, hold onto your replica jerseys, because the football gods have apparently decided to bless the Indian subcontinent. Lionel Messi, the man who needs no introduction unless you’ve been living under a particularly large, sports-impermeable rock, has announced he’s gracing India with his presence in December 2025. And no, this isn’t some fever dream you cooked up after a late-night biryani. It’s really happening.

Messi himself, probably between winning another award and casually breaking the internet, dropped the bombshell announcement on October 3rd. He’s “truly excited,” he says, to visit our “beautiful and special country.” You hear that? He thinks we’re special. It’s an honor, he claims, to reconnect with his millions of Indian fans after a painfully long 14-year gap. We were starting to think he forgot about us.

But this isn’t just a quick “hello, goodbye, thanks for the adulation” tour. Oh no, this is the “Goat Tour of India 2025,” a title so subtle it’s practically shouting. It sounds less like a football trip and more like a royal procession, and frankly, who are we to argue?

So, What Exactly is This “GOAT Tour”?

According to the press releases, this tour is a jam-packed extravaganza that makes a music festival look like a quiet book club meeting. We’re talking matches, masterclasses, cultural exchanges (whatever that means—maybe Messi learning some Bhangra?), and even concerts. Yes, concerts. Is he singing? Is he just standing there looking majestic while someone else sings? Details are fuzzy, but the imagination runs wild.

The tour will make stops in the holy trinity of Indian football fandom: Kolkata, Mumbai, and New Delhi. It’s a multi-city tour de force designed to give as many fans as possible a glimpse of the legend. And for a select few, it’s a chance to get way more than a glimpse.