Inter Miami forward and global football superstar Lionel Messi will be in Mumbai on Sunday for Day 2 of the “GOAT India Tour” 2025, following his appearances in Kolkata and Hyderabad on Saturday. The 38-year-old is expected to arrive at the Wankhede Stadium shortly after 5.
35 pm, with a full house set to get a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see the global icon live. The gates are expected to open at around 1:15 pm and organisers have planned a long build-up aimed at keeping fans engaged through music and on-field entertainment. A local DJ will lead the early programming, followed by a performance from DJ Chetas on the field of play stage, as the stadium gradually fills up ahead of Messi’s arrival.
The on-field programme will gather momentum in the evening with an All Stars 7v7 football match, played across two pitches between 5. 01 pm and 5.
34 pm. Soon after the winners are announced, Messi is expected to enter the stadium at around 5. 37 pm.
Following his arrival, Messi is scheduled to take part in a photo opportunity with celebrities on the pitch, during which he will also take penalty kicks. ALSO READ | Gone in 20 minutes: Lionel Messi’s angry fans in Kolkata throw chairs, bottles on Salt Lake Stadium field after star leaves quickly Later, Messi is scheduled to take a lap of the ground before moving to the field of play stage, where he will be joined by Indian football icon Sunil Chhetri and cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar for a football-and-cricket bat exchange, shortly before 6:40 pm. Among other prominent names expected at the Mumbai leg apart from Tendulkar are John Abraham, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Jackie Shroff.
The stage proceedings will also include Messi being felicitated by dignitaries, including representatives of the Mumbai Cricket Association, as part of the formal programme. Messi is expected to present the trophy to the winning All Stars team before being invited to say a few words to the audience, bringing the on-field proceedings to a close shortly after 7 pm. GOAT Football Clinic A key highlight of Messi’s Mumbai visit will be his participation in the ‘GOAT Football Clinic,’ where he will interact with 60 children – 30 boys and 30 girls – as part of the Maharashtra government’s Project Mahadeva initiative.
The session is expected to last 30 minutes, between 5. 56 pm and 6.
26 pm, with 15 minutes allotted to both groups. Project Mahadeva is the Maharashtra government’s flagship grassroots football initiative, aimed at identifying and nurturing young talent at an early age. Story continues below this ad ALSO READ | Hyderabad leg of Lionel Messi’s GOAT Tour of India goes uneventfully after Kolkata chaos The selected children are enrolled in a five-year full scholarship programme that provides professional coaching, academic support, equipment, residential facilities when required, performance tracking, nutrition, physiotherapy, and mental conditioning.
Messi is expected to hand over a scholarship certificate to a group of six children at around 6:45 pm. For many in the stands, Sunday offers a rare opportunity to watch Messi up close, while for the young players involved, it marks a moment that could shape their footballing journeys long after the tour moves on.
The Argentine will travel to Delhi on Monday for the final leg of the tour, where he is expected to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi.