VIDEO SHOWS: ARGENTINE SOCCER SUPERSTAR LIONEL MESSI AND INTER MIAMI TEAMMATES RODRIGO DE PAUL AND LUIS SUAREZ ARRIVING AT MUMBAI’S WANKHEDE STADIUM; MESSI GREETING YOUNG SOCCER PLAYERS; INDIA’S MAHARASHTRA STATE CHIEF, DEVENDRA FADNAVIS PRESENTING BOUQUETS TO MESSI, DE PAUL, AND SUAREZ, INDIAN CRICKETING LEGEND SACHIN TENDULKAR SPEAKING DURING EVENT; FANS CHEERING SHOWS: MUMBAI, MAHARASHTRA, INDIA (DECEMBER 14, 2025) (REUTERS –Access all) 1. FANS CHEERING AS THEY WAIT FOR ARGENTINE SOCCER SUPERSTAR LIONEL MESSI AND INTER MIAMI TEAMMATES RODRIGO DE PAUL AND LUIS SUAREZ AT MUMBAI’S WANKHEDE STADIUM 2. MESSI WALKING AND GREETING YOUNG SOCCER PLAYERS AT STADIUM/MESSI STANDING WITH DE PAUL, SUAREZ AND LOCAL PLAYERS TO POSE FOR PHOTOGRAPHS 3. MESSI AND INDIA’S MAHARASHTRA STATE CHIEF, DEVENDRA FADNAVIS, POSING FOR PHOTOGRAPH / FADNAVIS PRESENTING BOUQUETS TO DE PAUL AND SUAREZ 4. (SOUNDBITE) (English) INDIAN CRICKETING LEGEND, SACHIN TENDULKAR, SAYING: "Today, having all three of them (Argentine soccer superstar Lionel Messi, Inter Miami teammates Rodrigo De Paul and Luis Suarez) here is indeed a golden moment for Mumbai, 'Mumbaikars' (people of Mumbai), and India. The way you (Indian fans) have received all three greats of the game has truly been remarkable. When it comes to Leo (Messi), if I were to speak about his game what would one talk about him? He's achieved everything. We really admire his dedication, determination, and above all he is not so much because of his humility the person that he is, and on behalf of Mumbaikars and Indians I'd like to wish him and his family the very best of health and happiness to all of you." 5. FANS CHEERING STORY: Order was restored on Sunday (December 14) as Lionel Messi, whose India tour kicked off chaotically on Saturday, was warmly greeted by fans, soccer enthusiasts and Indian cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai. Messi and Tendulkar, who both added to the iconic stature of the no. 10 jerseys in their respective sports, received a huge cheer from the crowd at Mumbai’s Wankhede stadium. Messi is in India as part of a tour during which he is scheduled to attend concerts, youth football clinics and a padel tournament, and to launch charitable initiatives at events in Kolkata, Hyderabad, Mumbai and New Delhi. The tour got off on a sour note as agitated fans had thrown objects, ripped up seats and invaded the pitch at Kolkata's Salt Lake stadium after the Argentine soccer great made only a brief appearance at a ticketed event. Messi was scheduled for a 45-minute visit to the stadium, but his appearance lasted just 20 minutes. Tickets for the event were priced from around 3,500 rupees ($38.65) – more than half the average weekly income in India – but at least one fan said he had paid $130. Messi, who captained Argentina for the first time in a friendly match at the Salt Lake stadium in a 1-0 win over Venezuela in 2011, virtually unveiled a 70-foot statue of himself in Kolkata earlier on Saturday. (Production: Francis Mascarenhas, Sunil Kataria)
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