Fan paid Rs 10,000 to see Lionel Messi in Kolkata, ends up stealing carpet instead

Former India captain Bhaichung Bhutia on Saturday (December 13, 2025) expressed disappointment over the chaos at a stadium in Kolkata during an event attended by Argentine football icon Lionel Messi, and said organisers should ensure that such incidents do not recur as they hurt the country's image.

Bhutia was talking to reporters at the airport in Raipur after returning from Jagdalpur where he attended the closing ceremony of Bastar Olympic 2025 event.

Asked about the incident at Salt Lake stadium in Kolkata, he said, "It is a bit disappointing because I heard that around 80,000 fans turned up. Everybody loves Messi, but genuine fans did not really get to see him, which is very unfortunate."