From Messi mania to anger at being fleeced: Rage exploded in just 22 minutes; fans threw chairs, set Sofa on fire
Times of India | 14 December 2025
KOLKATA: Ecstasy to agony to anger: All in a space of 22 minutes. Messi-mania ended in mayhem, arson and violence at the Salt Lake stadium on Saturday within minutes of Lionel Messi leaving the ground after a brief 22-minute visit that left 60,000 fans disgruntled.
As the Argentine skipper shook hands with players of two teams that played a match till his arrival at 11.30 am, fans jostled for a view but all possible angles had been shut out by an entourage of ministers, organizers, celebrities and media personnel who seemed to have cordoned off the star and obliterated him from the view of fans. What was supposed to be a red-letter day for Messi fans, turned out to be a nightmarish outing which ended in disappointment.
It soon turned into anger which poured out violently. No sooner had Messi, who beamed in a black T-shirt during the short visit, left at 11.52 am, fans fumed in frustration and started pulling out chairs that were hurled into the ground. Next, hundreds of water bottles were being thrown into the ground even as the few policemen on duty remained inactive. Messi had been accompanied by his Inter Miami teammates Suarez and Rodrigo De Paul.
At around 12.10 pm, barely 18 minutes after the star had exited, fans started crossing the barriers and entered the ground. Some were lathicharged by the police that didn't stop the flow. Within the next few minutes, the entire ground had been swarmed by thousands, who ran amok, pulling down posters and banners and the goalposts.
Salt Lake resident Kawshik Dutta, a Messi fan who visited the ground, said, "Messi was not visible even on the giant screens. We couldn't see even De Paul and Suarez. It was unfair since most had bought tickets for anything between Rs 3,000 and Rs 16,000. Also, it was announced that Shahrukh Khan and Saurav Ganguly would be there. But they were absent. Messi was supposed to take a few penalty shots but nothing happened. He did walk a distance, waving at the crowd but it was too short."
Others like Bubun Chakraborti, another Messi fan, said he was left unnerved by the fans' rage. First, a few crossed the fence and were intercepted by the police, leading to an argument. It soon turned into a scuffle and the police were made to scurry for cover. "Within minutes, a mob had covered the turf and things spun out of control. While some were hurling chairs into the ground, others were uprooting the sofas that had been arranged for the VIPs. One huge sofa was set on fire. Others dismantled the goalposts and cut off the nets. I have never seen a Salt Lake stadium crowd get so agitated," said Chakraborti.
The arson had spread to the stands as well. Upper tiers saw chairs and windows getting smashed, said techie Souvik Kar. "The anger was justified, for many saved money to buy tickets. It was complete mismanagementon the part of the organizers. First, they failed to ensure that people could see Messi. Then, there was no arrangement to control the crowd. Police should have been posted in every stand and along the ground perimeter facing the stands. Instead, there were a few busy clamoring to get close to Messi. People took out rods and lathis to tear apart the fences and banners. A policeman was hit by a chair and then reinforcements were called in," said Kar.