It’s not often that the greatest footballer in the world steps on Indian shores. So, it’s hardly a surprise that many die-hard fans travelled long distances, sacrificed sleep, endured pain, and often paid a price normally beyond their means to watch their idol in the flesh. The Indian Express talked to a few of them to know what the experience meant for them.
He travelled overnight by train for 10 hours to Mumbai to realise a dream he had carried for 16 years. “I knew I might never get a chance like this again,” he says.
The software engineer began following Lionel Messi during Barcelona’s historic 2008–09 season, when they won the treble of La Liga, Champions League and Copa Del Ray. “When you understand football, you understand why Messi is different,” he says.
Pradeep travelled overnight by train for 10 hours to Mumbai to realise a dream he had carried for 16 years. (Express Photo | Shankar Narayan)
Unable to travel to Europe or the United States, this event felt personal. “For people like us, this is as close as it gets.” Pradeep bought the lowest-priced ticket for Rs 8,500. Sitting far from the front row didn’t matter. “Just seeing him live is enough,” he adds.
Shubham Petawala, from Borivali, Mumbai
For him, seeing Lionel Messi live meant enduring pain and heat. The data analyst, moving on crutches and accompanied by a cousin, had suffered a fracture 10 days after booking his ticket, but refused to back out.
“The moment I booked it, I knew nothing would stop me,” he said.
Shubham became a Messi fan in 2006 after noticing a small, young player enjoying football without fear. “He wasn’t playing for fame. He was playing for love,” he says.
While Messi has given him several unforgettable moments, his 2022 Qatar World Cup triumph remains closest to his heart. “People said he couldn’t do it for Argentina. He proved everyone wrong,” Shubham says. “Seeing him smile that day made me feel complete as a fan.”
Mukesh Kumar Prasad, from Ballia, Uttar Pradesh
He travelled 36 exhausting hours to reach Mumbai with one goal in mind – to see Lionel Messi.
“The journey was long, but worth it,” he said after arriving on Saturday evening. He paid Rs 10,000 for Messi’s ‘GOAT India Tour’ 2025 event and has followed the football legend since 2011, when he was in 7th standard. “That’s when my love for the game started,” he shares.
Mukesh once dreamed of visiting Spain to watch Messi play, but added, “Seeing him in India is a dream come true.”
His favourite memory remains Barcelona’s 2015 UEFA Champions League final win against Juventus, which helped the Catalan giants complete the treble.
Harminder Singh, travelled from Sangrur, Punjab
His journey to see his favourite football superstar Lionel Messi wasn’t long but Harminder Singh had to work around his work shifts to reach the Delhi venue in time.
“I work in a steel manufacturing unit in Sangrur. My shift ended at 6:00 am today. I rushed home to change and leave for Delhi,” the resident of Sherpur village in Punjab’s Sangrur district.
After reaching home around 6:20 am, Harminder rushed to the railway station where he had a train to catch at 8:00am.
“The only train available from Sangrur was the Kota Express. I didn’t have a ticket and travelled in the general compartment. My friends in Delhi managed to get me a ticket for the event for Rs 7,000, which is a lot but I couldn’t let this chance go,” he said.
His train reached Delhi at 1.42 pm, but Harminder was relieved to know that Messi was late for the event as well.
Harminder became a Messi fan when a senior at his polytechnic showed him some Argentina matches. “Tough to say when exactly I started liking him but it was around the 2014 World Cup when Argentina lost in the final.”
“I am rushing back right now. I have a train at 9 pm and will reach home by 2-2:30 am. I have to go to work at 7 am but the journey has been absolutely worth it,” Harminder quipped as he rushed out after the event.
Neeraj Bahekar and son Atharva, Bhatinda
The four-hour wait at the stadium for a darshan of just over 30 minutes, in addition to Delhi’s poor air quality, couldn’t deter 15-year-old Atharva Bahekar and his father Neeraj.
“He was late, yes, but we enjoyed it,” said Atharva as they made their way out of the stadium. A few lucky fans managed to take home footballs kicked by Messi or his teammates Luis Suarez and Rodrigo de Paul into the crowd. “We didn’t get them, it was not even close. But we managed to get a good look at Messi, Suarez and de Paul.”
When asked if the whole experience was worth the money and exertion, the answer left no doubt. “Just to get a glance of Messi was worth it,” said Neeraj.
Jordan Lawrence, Wisconsin, United States
He has been working in Delhi for the past two years and came to the Arun Jaitley Stadium with his five-year-old son James, who he says is a “young fan of the game” himself.
“One chance to see the greatest while he is still playing, why not make the most of it?” Lawrence said while waiting to get inside the venue. “I have been a fan of Messi since I was a kid. I want to see him.”
Jordan’s home country is where Messi is plying his trade at the moment for Inter Miami in Major League Soccer (MLS). “I am working in the summer so I can’t go back and see him. So a good chance while I am here.
