New Delhi: Argentine football legend Lionel Messi is set to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Justice of India Justice Surya Kant and Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi during the Delhi leg of his GOAT India Tour on Monday, marking a high-profile finale to his visit to the country.
Messi will begin his day by arriving in the national capital at 10.45 am, followed by a brief meet-and-greet session at a city hotel. He will then head to the Prime Minister’s official residence, where he is scheduled to spend around 20 minutes interacting with Modi.
After the meeting with the Prime Minister, Messi will visit the residence of a Member of Parliament, where he will meet several dignitaries, including the Chief Justice of India and the Army Chief. The MP hosting the gathering is understood to be Nationalist Congress Party leader Praful Patel, a former three-term president of the All India Football Federation. Argentina’s Ambassador to India, Mariano Agustin Caucino, is also expected to be present, along with Enforcement Directorate chief Rahul Navin and a few senior government officials.
Following his engagements with top constitutional and military authorities, Messi will travel to the Ferozshah Kotla Stadium, where multiple programmes have been planned. He is scheduled to enter the stadium around 3.30 pm through a walkway leading directly to the pitch, with arrangements in place for his convoy to depart straight for the airport after the event concludes.
The stadium event will begin with a ceremonial welcome featuring music, after which Messi will move to a small football ground where Indian celebrities will take part in a friendly match. The Argentine star will greet the participants and pose for group photographs.
A football clinic involving 22 children is slated to be held between 3.55 pm and 4.15 pm. Messi will then proceed to the centre of the field, where two Indian cricketers will present him with a gift. In return, Messi will hand over pre-signed jerseys to the cricketers, bringing the GOAT India Tour to a symbolic close.
