Yuva Bharati Stadium has an estimated capacity of 60,000–65,000. Based on official ticket sales, police had prepared for a crowd of around 35,000. Instead, the stadium was packed to the brim. Investigators now believe this unregulated crowd surge was the trigger for the disorder that followed.

Messi's appearance was abruptly cut short after 20 mins as fans began throwing debris in reaction to being kept at a distance from the star

The opening leg of Messi's four-city 'GOAT India Tour 2025' in Kolkata descended into chaos on Saturday morning due to poor crowd management and security lapses, with the Argentine superstar surrounded and pushed by selfie-seeking politicians and VIPs.

The Argentine media labeled Lionel Messi’s trip to India as tumultuous, putting the blame on the organisers’ inefficiency, discontented followers, and tumultuousness at the venue in Kolkata. The accounts underscored that Messi had to exit prematurely due to the chaos and the operators were already under heavy criticism,

Lionel Messi reached Kolkata as the first stop of his G.O.A.T. India Tour. He met Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan as well.

Lionel Messi calmly took a penalty as the crowd at Wankhede Stadium roared with ‘Visca Barca’ chants.| Sports News