For Ichhapur tea-seller Shib Shankar Patra and engineer-turned-entrepreneur Shamindra Ghosh, December 13, 2025, will be the day they have survived to see. Superfans of Lionel Messi, both Patra and Ghosh have been called to meet the Argentine superstar on Saturday morning for a special meet-and-greet.
Patra, 56, once a club-level footballer, went viral when he painted his entire three-storied house in Nawabganj with Argentina colours - blue and white before Messi's maiden visit to Kolkata in 2010. Not only outside, but Patra had also painted the same in the walls, doors and even wardrobes.
That's not all. He had turned his decade-old tea stall into an 'Argentina fan club' and installed a life-sized statue of Messi at the entrance. The Messi fandom runs in his family too. Patra's daughter Neha themed her wedding in Argentina colours in 2022.
However, behind the celebrations, is a difficult time for the Patra as he underwent a heart surgery and also had a pacemaker implanted. Having initially bought two tickets worth ₹7000, Satadru Dutta, who is bringing Messi to India, invited Patra for an exclusive meet-and-greet.
Shamindra Ghosh's dream come true moment
Not just Patra, another on the list is Shamindra Ghosh, a Dumdum resident and the owner of the Cafe Leo - themed upon Messi. A devoted Messi faithful, Shamindra proudly calls his cafe a ‘temple’.
Shamindra, who completed his graduation in civil engineering, but struggled to find a job and had slipped into depression. Not just joblessness, he was also dealing with the loss of his mother. During that time, watching videos of Messi would cheer him up.
That's when he decided to start something on his own in 2021 and dedicate the cafe to Messi. Inside the cafe, the walls portray Messi's different stages of his career.
“I got a call from Satadru yesterday night and he asked me to meet today at the hotel in which Messi will be staying. I am standing in front of the hotel at the moment,” Shamindra told the website.
