Free India-Uruguay tickets for Messi Tour fiasco victims; WB eyes Odisha hockey model for Indian football

The announcement came amid questions over ticket prices for India’s high-profile friendly against Brazil at the Salt Lake Stadium, where an attendance of just over 51,000, well below the stadium’s capacity of 85,000, was recorded despite Brazil fielding a strong side.

Updated : Oct 04, 2026 09:12 IST , Kolkata - 4 MINS READ

Lionel Messi’s visit to Kolkata last year was cut short, prompting anger from disappointed fans. | Photo Credit: DEBASISH BHADURI

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Saturday announced free tickets for the India-Uruguay international on October 6 for people who missed Lionel Messi’s chaotic visit to Kolkata last year.

The announcement came amid questions over ticket prices for India’s high-profile friendly against Brazil at the Salt Lake Stadium, where an attendance of just over 51,000, well below the stadium’s capacity of 85,000, was recorded despite Brazil fielding a strong side featuring Vinicius Junior, Gabriel Magalhães and Marquinhos.

“I want to convey this through the media to the people who missed out on the Messi event, some 22,000 of them — we (the West Bengal Government) will announce a WhatsApp number through which they can collect their free tickets for the Uruguay match (on October 6),” Adhikari, who was at the Salt Lake Stadium to watch the Brazil match, told reporters.

The Messi G.O.A.T Tour of India in December last year saw eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi arrive in India for a four-city tour, starting with Kolkata.

However, the event ended up being chaotic, with the player leaving early, disappointed. The angry fans, unable to watch their football icon, protested vehemently, while some broke the box chairs at the Salt Lake Stadium.

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“I would ask them to come and watch the match. You will be able to watch a good match in a disciplined manner. They will also be able to return home by metro or by buses of West Bengal Transport Corporation, which will also run late into the night,” Adhikari added.

Adhikari felicitated Brazil’s coach Carlo Ancelotti after the match, awarding him a memento, while the Chief Minister was gifted a Brazil jersey — a No. 7 Canary Yellow shirt with S. Adhikari written at the back — with signatures of the players and coach.

Odisha-hockey model for Indian football development

Adhikary further added that his government was considering greater support for Indian football, and would look to draw inspiration for Odisha’s model of developing hockey.

“Our honourable governor, his excellency (Mr. R. N. Ravi) and the MoS (Union Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs) have said that the Odisha government is (financially) supporting hockey, and that we should think of doing so in football. Football means Kolkata, and vice versa,” Adhikari said.

India, on Saturday, played at the Salt Lake Stadium after 16 months, with the previous match being a goalless draw with Kuwait in the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers. The stadium, however, has hosted several packed matches since, most notably the Kolkata derbies between East Bengal and Mohun Bagan Super Giant.

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Adhikari added that any decision on the support will need the cabinet’s approval and cannot be his alone.

“If the West Bengal government can support Indian football, this cannot be my own decision. This has to be everyone’s decision,” he added.

Odisha became the official team partner for India’s men’s and women’s hockey team in 2018 and has built a state-backed hockey ecosystem through infrastructure, corporate partnerships and grassroots development.

Both Indian teams recently won gold at the ongoing Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, while the men’s side has clinched two Olympic bronze medals since the partnership.

“If any state does good work, we will watch and learn from them. Regarding hockey, the Odisha government did an extraordinary job. We can follow it (the model) for football,” Adhikari said.