August 19, 2026 08:33 am (IST)

Make this your homepage

Sports News

Supreme Court rejects ‘less painful’ death penalty plea, but leaves door open for future change | ‘Vulgarity and disgust’: DMK attacks Vijay over Trisha salute at I-Day event | ‘Take Gyanesh Kumar to the US’: Congress mocks Trump over praise for India’s voter ID system | Big relief for Imran Khan: Pakistan Supreme Court orders hospital transfer amid health fears | Trump praises India’s voter ID system, pushes SAVE America Act | Trump's shock threat to bomb Oman: US President warns ally over Iran deal and Hormuz crisis | Rishabh Pant scripts history! Indian wicketkeeper-batter joins elite 100-sixes club in Test cricket | BJP reshuffles top organisation seven months after Nitin Nabin's elevation | West Bengal STF arrests suspected aide of ISI 'agent' Rana Rauf in Kolkata | ‘Very hopeful’: Indian envoy Dinesh Trivedi breaks silence on PM Tarique Rahman’s proposed India visit

Messi Event

SRK is set to join Lionel Messi in Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium. Photo: IBNS/Gemini recreation

‘Hope the day is Messi’: Shah Rukh Khan set to join Argentine icon in Kolkata for the G.O.A.T. India Tour

India Blooms News Service | @indiablooms | Dec 12, 2025, at 08:22 pm

Mumbai/IBNS: Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan will join football icon Lionel Messi during the latter’s G.O.A.T. India Tour at Kolkata’s Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (Salt Lake Stadium) on Saturday.

Ahead of his visit to Kolkata, where he owns a cricket team, Khan shared his excitement on X, noting that this time his focus would be on football and Messi, one of the sport’s biggest ambassadors.

The 60-year-old actor wrote: "This time round not planning my Knight in Kolkata…. and hoping the day Ride is completely ‘Messi’. See you guys on the 13th at the Salt Lake Stadium."

This time round not planning my Knight in Kolkata…. and hoping the day Ride is completely ‘Messi’.
See you guys on the 13th at the Salt Lake Stadium.
— Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) December 11, 2025

Messi, a World Cup winner, is scheduled to land in Kolkata at 1:30 am on Saturday and will unveil his giant statue in Lake Town the same morning.

As part of his GOAT India Tour, fans in Salt Lake have built a tribute replicating Messi’s Miami home, complete with a terrace, terracotta roof, life-sized cutouts, and replica trophies including the Champions League, Copa América, and Ballon d’Or awards.

Lionel Messi's statue which will be unveiled. Photo: Rupak De Chowdhuri

The football legend is expected to arrive at the stadium around 11:15 am, following a match between Mohun Bagan All Star and Diamond Harbour All Star.

Shah Rukh Khan will arrive at 11:30 am, joined by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and cricket legend Sourav Ganguly. Messi is then scheduled to fly to Hyderabad at 2 pm.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by India Blooms (@indiablooms)

#Shah Rukh Khan Kolkata # Lionel Messi India Tour # GOAT India Tour # Salt Lake Stadium event # Messi statue unveiling # Messi and SRK # Kolkata football event # Mohun Bagan All Star # Diamond Harbour All Star # Messi India visit

Support Our Journalism

We cannot do without you.. your contribution supports unbiased journalism

IBNS is not driven by any ism- not wokeism, not racism, not skewed secularism, not hyper right-wing or left liberal ideals, nor by any hardline religious beliefs or hyper nationalism. We want to serve you good old objective news, as they are. We do not judge or preach. We let people decide for themselves. We only try to present factual and well-sourced news.