Kolkata has a strong love for football, and when the GOAT India Tour was announced, it made everyone very excited. For a lot of fans, the chance of Lionel Messi actually or supposedly moving to the city felt like it was making history. People had already booked hotels and bought tickets, and the excitement was at its peak as there was a lot of chatter on social media.
But the joy soon turned into confusion as people still didn’t know much about the event.
Timeframe Mixed Messages and Trouble
As the date of the event got closer, different changes started to show up. At first, the promotions made it look like Messi would be involved, but they didn’t make it clear if the Argentine ace would actually be there. Fans’ hopes were ahead of official communication, according to reports. This led to people making assumptions because they didn’t have enough information.
When it was clear that Messi wasn’t coming in person, people quickly got angry instead of disappointed. Fans said the people in charge of planning the event and advertising it did a bad job.
People Who Are Organising Are Getting a Lot of Criticism
As criticism grew, the organisers made it clear that the GOAT Tour was a celebration of a brand and not Messi’s personal look. They said that the misunderstanding was caused by assumptions instead of false promises, citing contractual and logistical limits.
Many fans thought the answer was too late, even after it was explained. Social media made complaints louder, and there were more calls for returns and to hold people accountable.
Gaps in administration and logistics
Reports also said that organisers, local officials, and partner agencies had trouble working together. The event had a lot of chaos because of last-minute changes to the plan, unclear information about the venue, and announcements that weren’t always the same.
For a city used to putting on big sports events, the lack of unity stood out a lot.
Indian Football Fans’ Missed Moment
The argument took attention away from what could have been a big, positive moment for sports culture in India. Analysts say that even though India is still a great place for international sports brands to go, reputation depends on how well things are done, as well as on famous people.
Lessons for the Future
The Kolkata event makes it very clear that there is no other option when it comes to openness. Fans are okay with celebrating heroes as long as they know the truth about them. Messi’s impact is still there, but the GOAT India Tour in Kolkata will be remembered less for football glory and more for how fast excitement turned into disagreement.
Read Also: Bangladesh Export Slowdown Threatens Economic Growth Outlook: ADB Warns
