Mumbai gets it right as Messi’s GOAT Tour shines at Wankhede Stadium

After a chaotic first leg of Argentine legend Lionel Messis GOAT Tour of India on Saturday morning and a rushed Hyderabad leg in the evening Mumbai fans approached Sundayrsquos third leg with understandable caution Would it be organised Would there be chaos Would they actually get to see Messi By the end of the day every doubt had dissolved thanks to a flawless crowdfriendly event at the iconic Wankhede StadiumPolice lined the streets right from Churchgate station to the venue ensuring crowds remained orderly Senior officers were even spotted patiently guiding confused fans to the correct entry gates Street vendors selling counterfeit Argentina jerseys for Rs 200 to Rs 500 were pushed far from the venue to avoid congestionMessi centre with Luis Suarez right and Rodrigo De Paul during the GOAT India Tour event at Wankhede Stadium PicPTIQueues moved smoothly across all gates with women children and boisterous teenagers funnelled efficiently under the supervision of private security staff Inside the stadium too operations ran as seamlessly as one of Messirsquos passesMumbai Cricket Association President Ajinkya Naik left welcomes Argentine legend Messi PicMCAEven the snacks were priced fairly cold drinks at Rs 100 samosas popcorn and momos at Rs 200 and pizza at Rs 300The stands were packed with over 35000 fans By 545 pm dignitaries including Sachin Tendulkar and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had taken their seats in the VVIP enclosure Five minutes later Messi Luis Suarez and Rodrigo De Paul walked onto the pitch to a thunderous chorus of ldquoMessi MessirdquoA fan channels pure devotion with fullvolume Messi chants PicAshish RajeThe World Cupwinning striker spent an entire hour on the ground He first visited the 7aside field for a celebrity match where Sunil Chhetri headed home a sharp goal to delighted cheers Messi greeted every player giving Chhetri a warm embrace that sent the crowd into a frenzy Both then attempted a penalty each Messirsquos trademark left foot earning instant applauseA Mumbai rarity Crowds at Marine Drive turn their backs to the sea for a glimpse of Messi PicShadab KhanThe trio later played multiple rondo sessions a regular football practice routine where players form a circle and pass the ball to each other ensuring a couple of players positioned inside the circle do not intercept their passes with children from the Maharashtra governmentrsquos grassroots football programme MahadevaSecurity on high alert as cops patrol ahead of Messirsquos appearance PicShadab KhanSuarez and De Paul mispassed occasionally forcing them into the circle but Messi remained flawless threading leftfooted passes to the kids with effortless precision He then launched about a dozen footballs into the stands waving throughout his slow walkaround as fans eruptedLeo Messi lights up the Wankhede with a smooth touch and a smile PicAshish RajeMessi then headed to the stage near the VVIP stand where Tendulkar felicitated him calling him ldquoan achiever of everything there is to win in the sportrdquo and gifting him a No 10 Tendulkar jersey Messi presented Tendulkar a football in return Fadnavis handed Messi a memento thanking him for choosing Mumbai and telling him to watch for Mahadevarsquos children who he said may represent India at a future FIFA World CupTiger Shroff and Ajay Devgn exchange greetings before the big moment PicAshish RajeAt exactly 550 pm Messi left the turf Within minutes the crowd exited calmly many heading back towards Churchgate with the satisfaction of witnessing a onceinalifetime moment watching their hero play in the City of DreamsHands go up for the king as Wankhede roars for Leo Messi PicAshish Raje