Football legend Lionel Messi is set to make a highly anticipated return to India in December 2025, over a decade after his last visit. During a whirlwind three-day tour from December 13 to 15, Messi will travel to Mumbai, Delhi, and Kolkata—three cities deeply passionate about sports. What makes this visit even more special is the unique blend of football and cricket it promises.
According to The Indian Express, the highlight of Messi’s India tour will be a friendly seven-a-side exhibition cricket match scheduled for December 14 at Mumbai’s iconic Wankhede Stadium. In a surreal spectacle, the Argentine maestro could share the field with Indian cricket legends such as Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, and Rohit Sharma. The event will be managed by a major event company in collaboration with the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA), which confirmed that plans are in advanced stages.
“Messi will be at Wankhede Stadium on December 14. He is likely to play a cricket match too, alongside former and current cricketers. The full schedule will be announced soon,” an MCA official told The Indian Express.
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Beyond cricket, Messi’s visit will also be a celebration of his contributions to football. In Kolkata, the football-crazy city where he last played in 2011, Messi will be felicitated at Eden Gardens in a grand ceremony expected to feature West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. He will also inaugurate a grassroots football clinic aimed at nurturing young talent and participate in a children’s football workshop.
🚨 MESSI VS DHONI, VIRAT, ROHIT. 🚨
– Lionel Messi could play a 7-side cricket match with Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, Rohit Sharma and Sachin at the Wankhede Stadium. (Express Sports). pic.twitter.com/4UE8apwRqn
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) August 1, 2025
A special seven-a-side football tournament titled the “GOAT CUP” will be held in Messi’s honour at Eden Gardens—blending tribute with talent development. This underlines the broader purpose of his visit: to inspire a new generation across both cricket and football.
Meanwhile, a separate plan to bring the Argentina national football team to Kerala in October for two friendlies has been put on hold. Talks between the Kerala government and the Argentina Football Association are ongoing, but nothing is finalized yet.
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At 38, Messi continues to play for Inter Miami in Major League Soccer and is eyeing one final international hurrah at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. After leading Argentina to glory in 2022, the icon aims to bow out on a historic high—and his visit to India might be another memorable chapter in that journey.
