Lionel Messi’s Kolkata tour organiser arrested after chaos

The Kolkata police on Saturday arrested Satadru Datta, the prime organiser of the Lionel Messi football event at Salt Lake Stadium , following widespread chaos at the venue, which prompted the Argentine World Cup-winning captain to leave the field early. Taking suo motu cognisance of the stadium unrest, Datta was held by the Bidhannagar Police for “mismanagement” of the event from the Kolkata airport, where he had gone to see off Messi and his entourage on their way to Hyderabad. "We are looking into whether there was any mismanagement from the organiser's side, which led to the chaos at the stadium. He has been detained, and the police have now brought the situation under control," West Bengal DGP Rajeev Kumar said at a press conference.

#WATCH | Kolkata: On the Chaos at Messi's Kolkata event, West Bengal DGP Rajeev Kumar says, "There was some kind of anger or anxiety in the fans saying that he's not playing. The plan was that he would come here, wave, meet certain people and leave. Now the government has already… pic.twitter.com/WMomQ5KgDb

— ANI (@ANI) December 13, 2025

The event, which attracted large crowds because of Messi’s attendance, experienced turmoil within the stadium, necessitating intervention from organisers and security staff. Sources indicated that the disruption forced Messi to leave the field earlier than intended, disappointing countless fans.

Selling tickets for 5-10k, capitalising on Messi’s image, minting money by playing with emotions and ultimately fooling fans with a brief show of 10 minutes, wherein Messi was all huddled up with Politicians and VVIPS.

Peak mismanagement #MessiInIndia #Kolkata #SaltLake pic.twitter.com/rFOJPwikPs

— Karanveer Singh (@karan_nandre) December 13, 2025

While Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee apologised for the chaos, saying she was "deeply disturbed and shocked" at the turn of events, the BJP attacked her for "shedding crocodile tears" and called the ruckus an "insult" to the state and the sport of football. The BJP and the Congress held the Trinamool government responsible for the ruckus, the ruling party distanced itself from the series of events at the iconic football stadium, saying the programme was organised by a private agency.

As per reports, Messi's brief appearance at Salt Lake Stadium left many fans upset. Surrounded by dignitaries and politicians, his presence did not allow even one glimpse to thousands of fans who had paid up to Rs 14,000 per ticket. Their anger turned to chaos as vandalism followed, leaving the organisers and security teams at a loss over how to bring the situation under control. Angry fans started demanding their money back as they alleged poor arrangement at the stadium as Messi headed to the airport for a flight Hyderabad, his next India stop.