Indian football legend Sunil Chhetri experienced a rare fanboy moment after meeting Lionel Messi during the GOAT India Tour at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium on Sunday. The former India captain received a signed Argentina jersey from the Argentine superstar and later shared an emotional Instagram post reflecting on the encounter.
Despite carrying Indian football on his shoulders for nearly two decades, Chhetri admitted that, for once, the fan in him triumphed over the professional. “Meeting the man whose art is my antidote to sadness was exactly what I needed,” Chhetri wrote, describing the moment as both a dream and a duty.
Messi was in Mumbai on December 14 along with teammates Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul as part of the GOAT India Tour. The event concluded with cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar presenting Messi with an Indian cricket team jersey, followed by photographs with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
Chhetri revealed he was close to skipping the trip due to an injury but decided otherwise. “The fan in me rebelled, and I went anyway,” he shared. He also expressed gratitude to Messi, De Paul, and Suárez, calling it a privilege to share the frame with one of football’s greatest No.9s.
Thanking the city for its warmth, Chhetri added, “Mumbai, you absolute beauty thank you for making me feel so loved.”
The final leg of Messi’s India tour took him to Delhi, where he met ICC chairman Jay Shah, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, and DDCA president Rohan Jaitley at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. Messi and his teammates were presented with Indian cricket jerseys, while Messi also received an autographed cricket bat symbolising a memorable crossover between football and cricket.
