Lionel Messi to Visit Hyderabad! Star Argentina Footballer's 'GOAT Tour' Expands Further After Cancellation of Friendly in Kerala

Superstar footballer Lionel Messi is all set to visit India after fourteen years. Messi visited India for the first time in 2011 when he travelled with the Argentina team in Kolkata to play in a friendly game with Venezuela. In 2025, Messi was set to visit India twice. First, he was set to visit Kerala with the Argentina team to play a FIFA friendly match organised by the Kerala government. Then, he was scheduled to visit India on a solo tour covering cities like Kolkata, Delhi and Mumbai. Unfortunately, due to circumstances, the Kerala tour was cancelled and the match was postponed. Amid this, considering the sentiments of the fans from Southern India, Messi is all set to visit Hyderabad as part of his India tour. Lionel Messi's Kerala Visit Postponed; Minister Refuses to Answer Question On Cancelled Match of Argentina Superstar, Congress MP Alleges 'Shady Dealings'.

According to reports, Messi's solo India tour named  'GOAT Tour to India 2025' expanded further as Hyderabad got added as the new southern location to ensure fans in the region are not "deprived" of seeing their idol following the cancellation of Argentina's proposed friendly in Kerala. The revised plan oif Messi's 'GOAT Tour' ensuring it spanning across all four corners of India. Messi will now visit Kolkata in the east, Mumbai in the west, Delhi in North and Hyderabad in South. Messi's solor tour of India is all set to be one of the biggest sporting events India as ever witnessed. Luis Suarez and Rodrigo De Paul to Join Lionel Messi in India Visit? Here's What Organisers Announced About Star Argentina's Footballers Teammates Joining Him During GOAT Tour 2025 Event.

"Now we are covering south also. This will be a tribute to millions of football fans in South India," Satadru Dutta, the sole organiser of the 'GOAT Tour to India 2025', told PTI.  With this, every part of India is covered." Dutta said. "I wanted to make it a pan-India event and now that the Kerala event is cancelled, south people are getting deprived to see Messi," he said. Satadru further revealed booking for the Hyderabad event will happen within a week. The event is confirmed and will either be held in Gachibowli or Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. "It will be an extension of GOAT Cup as there will be a celebrity match, football clinic, felicitation, musical programme. All the superstars of south will be in presence," he assured fans.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 02, 2025 03:42 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).