Rahul Gandhi to Meet Lionel Messi in Hyderabad During GOAT India Tour
Photo Credit: G. Ramakrishna via The Hindu
New Delhi: Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, will visit Hyderabad on Saturday, December 13, 2025, to meet football legend Lionel Messi, who is in India as part of the GOAT India Tour 2025.
According to official sources, Rahul Gandhi will arrive at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport from Delhi by a special flight at around 2.15 p.m. He will then proceed to the Falaknuma Palace Hotel, where he is scheduled to meet Messi. Later in the evening, Gandhi will attend the exhibition football match between Messi XI and Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy’s XI. The match will be held at the RGI Cricket Stadium under tight security arrangements. Gandhi is expected to return to New Delhi later that night.
Rachakonda Police Commissioner Sudheer Babu said that around 3,000 security personnel have been deployed to ensure smooth conduct of the event.
Meanwhile, Lionel Messi arrived in Kolkata early Saturday, receiving a massive welcome from fans despite the late hour. Thousands gathered at the airport and outside his hotel, creating scenes of celebration as the football icon began his three-day, four-city India tour.