KOLKATA, December 20, 2025 - The organizer of Lionel Messi's recent India tour, Satadru Dutta, who is currently under arrest, has made startling revelations regarding the financial aspects and the events surrounding the football icon's visit to Kolkata. Dutta told investigators that Lionel Messi was paid ₹89 crore for the 'G.O.A.T India Tour 2025', and an additional ₹11 crore was paid as tax to the Indian government. This puts the total expenditure for the tour at ₹100 crore.
Dutta, who is the prime accused in the Salt Lake Stadium chaos that unfolded during Messi's appearance, is being investigated by a Special Investigation Team (SIT). The SIT is probing the vandalism and alleged financial irregularities linked to the event.
According to Dutta, approximately 30% of the tour's funding came from sponsors, while another 30% was generated through ticket sales. However, authorities are questioning these claims, as the combined amount from ticket sales and sponsors only accounts for 60-70% of the total expenditure. This discrepancy has led investigators to suspect the use of unaccounted money in organizing the event.
In addition to the financial disclosures, Dutta revealed that Messi was "unhappy with being touched or hugged" during his appearance at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata. He stated that this concern had been communicated in advance by Messi's foreign security officials. Despite repeated announcements requesting the crowd to refrain from physical contact, there was little impact, leaving Messi uncomfortable with the situation.
Dutta also claimed that he was pressured by "influential people" to increase the number of ground access cards, which further contributed to the chaos. Initially, only 150 ground passes were issued, but this number was tripled due to external pressure, disrupting the planned flow of the event. This led to overcrowding and mismanagement, ultimately causing Messi to cut short his appearance.
The SIT has taken swift action, freezing ₹22 crore from Dutta's bank accounts. Raids were conducted at his residence in Rishra, where luxury assets, incriminating documents, and bank passbooks were seized. Investigators are examining these documents to uncover any financial irregularities related to the event.
Police are also investigating allegations of attendees being charged between ₹10 lakh and ₹30 lakh for photographs with Messi, with no official payment records found. These amounts are suspected to have been collected in cash and are being treated as unaccounted money. Discrepancies in ticketing are also under scrutiny, with organizers claiming that only half the tickets were sold despite the stadium's capacity of 66,000.
The West Bengal government has taken the matter seriously, with Sports Minister Aroop Biswas resigning from his post pending the completion of the investigation. Biswas faced criticism for allegedly using his influence to grant access to relatives and acquaintances.
The incident has led to two cases being registered by the Bengal police, with several non-bailable charges filed against Dutta. The SIT is continuing its investigation to determine the full extent of the mismanagement and financial irregularities surrounding Messi's India tour.
