Messi's India tour: Shah Rukh confirms meeting him; ‘See you guys on the 13th’

BOLLYWOOD superstar Shah Rukh Khan has confirmed his presence at the Salt Lake stadium (Kolkata) on December 13 alongside Argentina World Cup winner Lionel Messi in Kolkata. 

Messi will be on a three-day India tour, covering four cities, the first of which will be Kolkata. He will then travel to Hyderabad, followed by a visit in Mumbai. Messi will conclude his India tour with a likely meeting with the Prime Minister in Delhi on December 15.

In an X post, Shah Rukh wrote, “This time round not planning my Knight in Kolkata…. and hoping the day Ride is completely ‘Messi’. See you guys on the 13th at the Salt Lake Stadium.”

Notably, Shah Rukh is also the co-owner of the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). This is the second time Messi will be coming to India. The last time Messi landed in the City of Joy was in 2010 when he led Argentina to a 1-0 victory over Venezuela in an FIFA international friendly.

Both Messi and Shah Rukh have a huge fan following in Kolkata. Too add to the Messi craze, Shah Rukh's Kolkata visit will be an icing on the cake for the fans in the City of Joy.

When will Lionel Messi land in Kolkata?

According to sources, Messi will touchdown at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata at 11:55 PM on December 12. The next day, Messi is expected to arrive at the Salt Lake stadium at around 11:30 AM before flying to Hyderabad on the same day in the afternoon.

Messi is also expected to unveil a 70-foot statue of himself, which has been placed adjacent to the clock tower in Sribhumi (Lake Town), in honour of the former Barcelona superstar. However, it is understood that Messi will unveil his statue virtually, due to security reasons.

During his visit to Kolkata, Messi is also scheduled to meet former India cricket captain Sourav Ganguly and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

Messi & Argentina's Kerala visit postponed

Earlier, Messi and his Argentina team were scheduled to visit Kerala for a FIFA international friendly, was postponed. The Messi-led Argentina were slated to play against Australia at the Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium in Kochi on November 17.

Argentina's Kerala was a part of their provisional November itinerary for friendly matches during the FIFA window in this year. The Argentina Football Federation (AFA) representatives had visited Kochi and inspected the venue in September.

According to the sponsor of the event, the Argentina vs Australia international friendly was postponed due to a delay in receiving FIFA's permission. They also added that the match will be rescheduled during FIFA's next international window.