Lionel Messi will spend the last day of his GOAT India Tour in Delhi. As several events have been planned, it has been reported that some people are paying ₹1 crore for a handshake with the football legend.
A closed-door meet-and-greet is planned at The Leela Palace in Chanakyapuri for select corporate and VIP guests. NDTV reports that access is extremely expensive. Some companies are reportedly paying up to ₹1 crore for the chance to meet the World Cup winner. LiveMint could not independently verify the report.
Earlier, in Kolkata, a special meet-and-greet package allowed fans to get up close to Lionel Messi. The interaction was reportedly open to anyone who could pay ₹10 lakh.
Buyers apparently visited a hotel near EM Bypass, close to the Salt Lake Stadium. For ₹10 lakh, they were allowed to shake hands with Messi and have a photograph taken while standing beside him during the exclusive interaction.
During his stay, Messi is scheduled to meet some of the country’s most senior figures. These include the Chief Justice of India, several parliamentarians, and a carefully selected group of Indian sports stars from various disciplines.
At the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Messi will hold a football masterclass with young players. He will also have limited interactions with Indian cricketers. Virat Kohli is expected to attend the meet-up.
From there, he will head to Purana Qila for a special Adidas event. At the historic venue, he is likely to meet leading Indian champions, including Rohit Sharma, Paralympic gold medallist Sumit Antil, boxing star Nikhat Zareen, and Olympic high jumper Nishad Kumar, according to the publication.
Heightened security
Lionel Messi’s short visit to Delhi has been planned with extreme security. The drive from the airport to The Leela Palace typically takes around 30 minutes. Still, the area around the hotel has been turned into a high-security zone, NDTV reported.
Following the chaos in Kolkata, authorities are taking no chances. The hotel reportedly feels like a fortress with heavy police presence and restricted access.
