"We are all very enthusiastic": Telangana Minister Sridhar Babu on Messi's visit to Hyderabad

Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], December 13 (ANI): Hours after football icon Lionel Messi reached Hyderabad on Saturday evening as part of his three-day India tour, Telangana Minister D Sridhar Babu on Saturday said that authorities have taken all precautionary steps.
Speaking to ANI, D Sridhar Babu said, "It's fortunate for us, especially for our state of Telangana and the beautiful city of Hyderabad, to have a player like Messi come here and play in a friendly match...We are all very enthusiastic...Here, the police and administration have taken all the due precautionary measures."
The football icon Lionel Messi has reached Hyderabad on Saturday evening, his second pit stop for his 'GOAT India Tour' 2025.
Messi was brought to Hyderabad with a high level of security after the chaos that unfolded earlier today in Kolkata during his first stop of the tour.
Messi's itinerary in Hyderabad includes a highly anticipated 7v7 exhibition football match at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, where Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy is expected to join him on the field. The evening will conclude with a grand musical extravaganza celebrating Messi's illustrious career and his achievements in world football. The Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi have also reached Hyderabad.
Earlier, event organiser Anuttam Reddy shared details of Messi's schedule, saying, "Lionel Messi is expected to come at the stadium by 7:00-7.30 pm. Musical programs will start at 5.30 pm onwards. There is plenty of entertainment for everyone... Messi will be here with us on the ground for about 1 hour... There will be a lot of events... As UNICEF Goodwill Ambassadors, he will engage with children."
Notably, Messi's Kolkata leg of the GOAT Tour descended into chaos on Saturday after fans expressed disappointment when the Argentine legend left the event at Salt Lake Stadium much earlier than planned, leaving the crowd angry. The crowd also voiced anger at VIPs and politicians, including West Bengal sports minister Arup Biswas, for hogging Messi's time and preventing them from catching a glimpse of the football legend.
Many fans who paid a hefty amount to watch a glimpse of the football icon Messi became angry and began throwing water bottles and chairs from the stands. The angry mob also entered the ground and tried to vandalise the tent and the goal post.
The All India Football Federation (AIFF) issued a statement clarifying that Lionel Messi's event in Kolkata was a private event organised by a PR agency and the federation was not involved in the "planning or execution" of the event at Salt Lake Stadium. (ANI)