Football legend Lionel Messi earned a massive sum from his recent India visit. The organiser of the GOAT India Tour revealed the payment details during an official investigation. Messi’s tour included fan events in cities like Kolkata, Hyderabad, Mumbai and New Delhi. The total payments and chaos around the events have made global headlines. Gulf News
1. Messi’s India Tour Payment
The main organiser, Satadru Dutta, told authorities that Messi was paid around ₹890 million for his three-day India tour. This does not include taxes and other costs. The figure highlights how lucrative such celebrity tours can be for global icons. Gulf News
2. Total Tour Cost Estimated at ₹1,000 Million
According to organisers, the total expense of Messi’s India tour was about ₹1,000 million. Of this amount, a share came from ticket sales and sponsorships. Sponsors and event backers helped cover the high cost of hosting the star in multiple cities. Gulf News
3. Messi’s Payment and Taxes
The organiser further revealed that ₹110 million went to the Indian government as tax. This shows how much of the payment was subjected to local taxation rules. Messi’s payment net of tax still remained significantly high. Gulf News
4. Chaos at the Salt Lake Stadium Event
The Salt Lake Stadium event in Kolkata became chaotic. Fans crowded the field to see Messi up close. Organisers struggled to control access. The situation became so stressful that Messi left earlier than planned. Authorities have now formed a probe team to investigate crowd control and ticket issues. Gulf News
5. Crowd Management Failure
The organiser alleged that only a limited number of ground passes were planned. However, influential individuals pushed to issue more passes. This change may have broken the event’s crowd strategies and put Messi in a difficult position. Gulf News
6. Messi’s Reaction to the Chaos
Reports say that Messi did not like being touched or hugged by fans during the event. Organisers had prepared warnings about crowd proximity, but fans still crowded around him. This discomfort might have cut short parts of his appearance. Gulf News
7. Investigation and Future Implications
The West Bengal government formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to look into security lapses, crowd control failures and ticketing issues during Messi’s visit. The probe aims to uncover how such high-profile events can be better managed. Gulf News
