Has Lionel Messi ever met an Indian cricketer?

Published - 01 Aug 2025, 19:41 IST | Updated - 01 Aug 2025, 19:49 IST

Argentina football superstar Lionel Messi has inspired generations of football fans, especially in cricket-loving countries like India. The legendary player is reportedly set to visit India in December 2025 for a promotional tour. As per multiple reports, Messi is expected to be in the country from December 13 to 15, with stops planned in New Delhi, Kolkata, and Mumbai.

The highlight of the tour could well be an exhibition event at Mumbai’s iconic Wankhede Stadium on December 14, where Messi may take part in a seven-a-side cricket match featuring former and current Indian cricketers. If all goes according to plan, the world might see Messi holding a cricket bat. The friendly match will include cricketing superstars such as Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, and Rohit Sharma alongside the footballing legend.

Sources within the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) have confirmed that a top event management company has requested to block the Wankhede Stadium for that day.

“Messi will be at Wankhede Stadium on December 14. He is likely to play a cricket match, too, with former and current cricketers. The organisers will come up with a complete schedule once everything is finalised,” an MCA source was quoted as saying in a report by the Indian Express.

Messi to play cricket match with Kohli, Dhoni, Sachin

However, many cricketers have often shown their admiration towards Messi, but have any of them met the Argentine? Notably, Messi hasn't met any cricketer in real life so far; he has shared screen space with Indian cricket legend MS Dhoni in a popular Lay’s India advertisement. In the ad, the two legends are seen exchanging a football and then bonding over a packet of Lay’s chips. The campaign, tagged as the 'ultimate collab,' brought together two of the most iconic sporting figures of this generation in the same frame. However, their interaction was entirely virtual, filmed separately and edited together, which meant they never actually met face to face.

Interestingly, this will be Messi’s second visit to India, with his previous one back to 2011, when Argentina played a friendly against Venezuela at Kolkata’s Salt Lake Stadium. That game ended 1-0 in Argentina’s favour, with Messi donning the captain’s armband.

Furthermore, the footballer will be felicitated at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata, with West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee expected to attend the ceremony. During his stay in Kolkata, Messi will conduct a football workshop for children and launch a football clinic. A seven-a-side tournament called the "GOAT CUP" will also be organised in his honour at the Eden Gardens.