Lionel Messi to play in Hyderabad on December 13 at Rajiv Gandhi Stadium

Lionel Messi will play in Hyderabad on December 13 as part of his India tour. The event at Rajiv Gandhi Stadium will feature a short match, football clinic, parade, and appearances by Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul

Hyderabad: Football great Lionel Messi, who helped Argentina win the 2022 World Cup, will showcase his skills to the delight of soccer-crazy fans of the twin cities at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium here on December 13.

Parvathi Reddy, Advisor to the GOAT Tour Hyderabad, informed the media on Thursday that there will be a 20-minute match featuring Singareni RR and Aparna Messi All Stars.

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“The Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and Messi will join the teams five minutes before the scheduled close of play of the match,” she said.

“Then, Messi will conduct a football clinic for local underprivileged children (he is also a UNICEF Ambassador) and young talent, followed by a parade by the great footballer,” Parvathi Reddy added.

“After that, the Chief Minister will felicitate Messi, and what is deemed as a magical event of the entire show can be the penalty shoot-out, given the famed skills of the great footballer,” she said.

“The surprise packet is also the presence of other big names Rodrigo De Paul and long-time strike partner Luis Suárez,” Parvathi Reddy said.

Spectators will be allowed entry from 4 pm at the venue, and tickets, which will be digital, are already on sale online on the District by Zomato app, starting with a denomination of Rs 1300.

“All measures are being taken in coordination with various departments of the State Government, especially with the Police, to ensure that the entire event will be a big success,” the organisers said.

“There will be 1000 volunteers to guide the fans at the stadium.

There will also be an exclusive photo opportunity with the star footballer at Falaknuma Palace for about 100 select members, costing about Rs 9 lakhs for each one of them.

For the record, Messi’s tour covers four cities — Kolkata, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Delhi.